Hearts of Courage
by Chrmdpoet
Summary: SEQUEL TO THE PRINCESS AND THE PRISONER. Tragedy strikes the lands of the White Kingdom, leading a young Princess Emma to a new and difficult destiny. With her beloved by her side, Emma must face the growing threat of an unexpected enemy and see her people through the hardships of war and loss, not as their Princess, but as their newly coronated Queen. Rated M for content.
1. Chapter 1:Our Land Our Lives Our Dignity

**A/N: Hello everyone. This is the first chapter of the sequel to The Princess and the Prisoner. I'm sure you will all have many questions, but trust that the answers will unfold as the story progresses. I will be unable to update as frequently as I did with The Princess and the Prisoner as I currently have three running stories, but I promise my updates will still be as swift as possible.**

**READ THIS: The first chapter of this sequel takes place three years after the final chapter of The Princess and the Prisoner, but the second chapter will flash back ten months and unravel the events leading up to this point. I hope that makes sense. There will be bits and pieces throughout that will give you hints and ideas as to what took place in the two-year time span between The Princess and the Prisoner and Hearts of Courage. I really hope you all like it. **

**Make sure to read this chapter with my chosen soundtrack for which this story was named. "Heart of Courage (Extended Version)" by Two Steps From Hell. You won't regret it. I do hope that you all enjoy and that the story lives up to your expectations. XO-Chrmdpoet**

**Rated M for blood, violence, nudity, sex, and some language.**

Chapter One: Our Land. Our Lives. Our Dignity.

Sorrow spilled through Emma's heart as she gazed upon the burning plains strewn with bodies as far as the eye could see. Dawn was approaching and the sky lightened to cast an almost ethereal glow across the devastation that left her lands as a vast vacuum, void of much of the life it once harbored, of the earth beneath her, once cultivated beautifully and now worn and marred and riddled with the blood of her people and of her enemies. She sat atop her steed, surveying the carnage, the losses reeling in her mind and only driving her determination to end this war once and for all, to claim justice for the slain and refuge for the weary and wounded.

She could hear her warriors, brave and true, standing strong behind her, their breathing rapid and their hearts heavy, but none had backed down. Few hundred remained where once there had been thousands, and yet none turned away. They fought with her, many of their loved ones slain, and still they carried on. Their loyalty moved her to tears, swelling in her heart as she breathed in the stench of burning fields, of scorched bodies, of the metallic odor of blood rising as vapors in the early morning to shade the sky a violent red.

The battle had been raging many moons, yet it was a far cry from its end, and Emma refused to claim defeat. She would bring her people to victory, and she would obliterate any and all who dared stand in her way.

The soft clicks of hooves alerted her to the presence of her wife as Regina, poised atop a midnight steed and armored from head to toe, came to a gentle stop beside her. Emma needed not visibly see her wife to know of her presence. They called to each other always through their shared bond as destined Soul Mates and each could feel the other's presence no matter the distance that might exist between them. Emma kept her eyes fixed upon the burning lands before her even as she extended an open hand to her left. She felt Regina's soft, delicate fingers slip into the spaces between her own and her heart grew fuller at the contact, her courage returning and growing with every gentle squeeze of palm against palm.

_The time has come to end this, my love, _Regina's sweet voice called to her, echoing in her mind, and Emma could hear the heartache in her tone. It was the same as that which throbbed within her own chest. Too many lives lost. Far too much blood spilled. They ached for their own losses and they ached for the losses of their people, and yet, they took refuge in the comfort of one another.

Their enemies had retreated in the night to gather their numbers as had they, and yet both Regina and Emma could sense the magic in the air, a signal for all that was to come—the final battle. It lingered on the horizon, waiting to see them either to victory or defeat, yet neither would accept the latter.

_Indeed it has, _Emma answered her softly. _Look at our land, Regina, our home. It has been reduced to a wasteland. How shall we ever rebuild what has been lost? How shall we lead our people through this destruction?_

_We will find a way, Emma, _Regina replied gently yet her voice was powerful in Emma's mind, ever strong, ever confident, and ever inspiring. _But we must do this now, my love. We must carry on, forward, and finish this while our enemies are weak. _

_Our men, our women…they are weary, _Emma whispered through their bond, and the subtle crack in her voice sounded clearly in Regina's mind, aching in her heart as she longed only to comfort her beloved wife. _I know not if they can carry on. I fear they may see only defeat should we lead them forward. I fear I have failed them._

_Fear not, darling, _Regina told her, squeezing Emma's hand affectionately, _for they are your people. You are their Queen, and they trust in you. They will follow you to the ends of the earth should you lead them. Speak to them, Emma. Give them the strength and the courage that you have given me. They will listen._

_What shall I say? _Emma asked meekly, turning to look into her beloved's deep, chocolate eyes, searching for answers she feared might never come.

_Speak your heart, my love, _Regina whispered in her mind. _Speak only your heart. It is your heart that has led us this far, and I believe your heart shall see us to victory. _

_I love you, Regina, _Emma exclaimed and the words sang in her heart and danced beautifully along the undying bond that connected her soul to that of the woman seated strongly beside her.

Regina gazed deeply into the emerald eyes of her beloved, the only person to have ever known her completely and love her despite her wicked past. She could see so much in those eyes—affection, fear, courage, strength, wisdom, sorrow, and love. They were endlessly deep and beautifully telling, and while Regina's respect and love for Emma only grew each time she looked into those eyes, her heart also ached fiercely for the suffering her wife had been made to endure at such a young age, for the speed with which she had been made to grow and mature, to rise to the challenge of leading a nation long before her time to reign was meant to come. Emma was the strongest person she knew.

_And I you, Emma, _Regina whispered. _I am with you, my love, even unto the end._

Their hands tangled tightly for only a moment more before both pulled gently away and turned to face their army, heads held high even as their hearts weighed heavily in their chests. Tears built and lingered on the edges of Emma's eyelids as she took in the state of her people, ragged and worn, bloody and beaten, riddled with exhaustion. The light that had burned in their eyes at the start of the war had long since faded and she saw only fear, only hopelessness shining up at her now.

She gazed upon the hilltop in the distance where her remaining archers stood at the ready, Snow at the head of them, and the burning pang of loss rippled through her chest as she ached for her birthmother, for the grand loss she had endured. She then let her gaze fall to the far left, the lining of the burning forest where she knew her adoptive mother, Red, waited amongst the wolves for the final phase of the battle to begin. She could see her not, and yet she could sense her presence even from a distance, and it empowered her.

Feeling courage bloom in her chest, Emma looked upon her army once more and inhaled a heavy breath wrought with the stench of decay in the air. She allowed her wife's words to fill her mind once more and push her onward. _Speak your heart, my love. _

And so she did.

"My people," she called, her voice magnified in the stillness of the early morning and echoing throughout the rolling hills, furthered by Regina's magic as her wife empowered the volume of it. The men and women gathered before her, hundreds still yet dwindling, turned their eyes to her, their weapons hanging limply at their sides and their gazes filled with desperation, a need for guidance and encouragement; a need for hope.

"The dawn approaches, and with it, the final phase of our battle. I know you are weary and your hope is slim, yet fear not, for as weary as we may be, trust that our enemies grow weary as well. Trust that our enemies grow weak. Trust that they shall stand not against us another night, because we, _together, _shall take back what is rightfully ours this day. Our land. Our lives. Our dignity."

Regina sat atop her steed in pure awe of the light and power that was her beloved wife and Soul Mate. She watched as the hopeless hundreds before them began to stir, moved by the strength in Emma's voice, by the courage in her emerald eyes, and by the words of her heart that beat for the very people she now led, a heart so full and so deep and so endless that it could devour the world. Pride swelled in her chest as the men and women surrounding them began to stand taller, lift their heads higher, their hands curled into fists coming to beat against their chests as many shouted their courage, shouted their love for their Queen. It moved Regina like nothing ever had, and that sensation only grew as it was inspired by the love of her life.

"We have lost many these past moons," Emma continued, her voice like a lone beacon of light in a world of only shadows and chaos and death. "Our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers, our children, our lovers, and our friends, and yet we still are standing. We are here, and we will let _not_ those sacrifices be in vain."

Shouts ripped through the air, calls of support and of tribute to the fallen. The cries of her men and women beat like a drum in Emma's chest and only stirred her on even as tears carved quiet paths down her dirty cheeks.

"Our numbers are small, but we are strong. We are united, and we will be not silenced. We will be not moved. We, _together_, will end this war. Together, we will conquer our enemies, and together, we will claim this day for our fallen soldiers."

The cheers were deafening, rekindled hope blooming in the hearts of her people and spilling into the early morning atmosphere. Emma raised her sword into the air, its gleaming point glinting in the early light, and she could feel Regina's pride burning along their bond as they watched the men and women before them follow suit. They lifted their weapons, swords, hammers, maces, mallets, and bows, as high as they could reach as they listened to their Queen's final words rip through the dawn, a solemn promise igniting the air.

"When the sun crests the hilltop, we march together a final time. And I ask only that you trust in me. Stand with me, men, women. _Fight _with me, and I will lead you not astray. Follow me into the fire and I promise you, _all_ of you, that I _will _see you through it. I will bring you to the other side, liberated and victorious!"

As the cries of her people echoed through the hills, the support and hope of the swordsmen, of the archers, of the wolves and the fairies, the dwarves and the nymphs, Emma pressed a steady fist to her heart before lifting it to the sky. It was a symbol of loyalty and of love that she freely offered the men and women that followed her, and they returned it in full. Fists beat into chests before punching into the air as shouts of "Long Live the Queen" echoed from newly hopeful tongues.

Emma turned watery eyes to the woman she knew remained strong behind her. Her wife's fist was held high in the air and tears marred her beautiful cheeks. They locked gazes, love and devotion shining in their eyes, before they both turned to look on the horizon.

They stood strong together, and they waited. Waited for the sun to rise and peek atop the distant hills. Waited to lead their people to a victory unlike any in the history of their kingdom.


	2. Chapter 2: Beneath the Willows

**A/N: Just a quick reminder. This chapter jumps to ten months prior to the first chapter, and we will progress from here.**

**You will DEFINITELY want to read this chapter with my chosen soundtrack of "I Love You Forever" by Two Steps From Hell. The music is flawless and so moving, and it definitely enhances the experience of this chapter. So put it on repeat and enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Two: Beneath the Willows

***Ten Months Earlier***

Regina snapped the reins and clicked her heels against her horse's sides, urging the midnight beast to quicken its pace. The wind rippled across her flesh and through her long, chocolate locks, dancing as silken ribbons behind her. A brilliant smile lit her face as she urged her steed further, wanting only to feel the wind sting in her cheeks and carry her faster and higher until she could close her eyes and feel as though she were flying. It was liberating and empowering, and it reminded her of the many blessings her life now offered her.

Her heart was as a feather in her chest, soft and weightless and filled with wonder and gratitude, joy and love where it once had harbored only anguish and only shadows. She glanced over her shoulder as laughter bubbled in her chest. Emma was gaining on her, the brilliant white coat of the princess's steed gleaming in the sunlight as Regina gave chase across the open meadows of the castle grounds and her wife followed.

Her beloved was a brilliant rider and yet she hardly compared with the skill and ease with which Regina mastered the powerful creature beneath her and took to the open meadows and plains as if she herself were the one galloping the distance. She moved fluidly with her steed, all grace and power, and led her horse through waving grasses and fields of flowers, reds, yellows, and blues.

The sunlight spilled across the meadows as they ran and Regina allowed herself to become lost in the moment, in the beauty of the life she now led with her destined Soul Mate. They had suffered much hardship in the beginning yet every heartache and every sorrow had truly been worth it. Emma, and the life that Regina had built with her, had become everything, devouring every part of her heart and only lifting her higher with each passing moon. She had never known such joy, such fulfillment as the past two years of their marriage had given her.

Every kiss, every soft, lingering touch, and every embrace lived in her as perfect, tangible memories, and with each day and night, Regina only felt lighter. The darkness that once consumed her had faded to a near non-existence as her life with Emma provided her peace, provided her strength and comfort. It offered her bliss and she reveled in the beauty of it.

Regina had spent her life fighting for love, seeking it in all that she did, even the greatest evils, and to have it at last, fully and without condition, was more than words would ever allow her to express. Emma had become the greatest gift she could have ever hoped for, and she cherished each moment with the princess, each and every precious second.

* * *

Emma urged her horse onward as she chased after her wife. Her breath hitched tightly in her throat as Regina cast a dazzling smile over her shoulder and sent a wave of laughter rippling through their bond to echo beautifully in Emma's mind. The princess was ever in awe of the beauty that was Regina free and uninhibited, finally the joyful, youthful, and playful woman that she had never been given the chance to be in her former life.

Their life together thus far had been blissful and light, a welcome and deserved reprieve from the suffering both had long endured prior. Their love and the joy they found in one another made them playful and light. It set them free.

To Emma, their days and nights together often seemed endless, filled with laughter, passion, and adventure as they were ever off exploring together. They rode together through meadows and wood, always challenging one another and taking great joy in whimsical chases and competition. They swam together in freezing rivers made warm by the touch of their combined magic and the heat of the passion they held for one another. They made love beneath the willows that bordered the castle grounds and by the waterfalls of the springs hidden in the forests of the White Kingdom's vast and rolling lands.

They spent star-filled nights in the woods beneath the full moon, both Emma and Regina curled into one another beneath a blanket as they watched Red run to her heart's desire or roll animatedly in piles of leaves simply to make them laugh.

They explored their magic together and how it would blend and grow when combined, creating music to echo through the hills and forming great bursts of color in the sky for the amusement of their family—Red, Blue, and even Snow as she visited frequently.

They spent much time within the castle as well. They allowed Blue to teach them each how to cook, though their lessons often only ended in great laughing wars of flour-tossing and cracking eggs over each other's heads, much to Blue's dismay. The former fairy rarely protested, though, as she had never seen the fallen queen so spirited, so liberated, and so truly happy.

They made plans for their future, decorating and redecorating the castle rooms as they dreamed of a day when they would further extend their family with beautiful children that each wanted to look as the other.

They were perfect together. They were happy.

* * *

_Will you ever catch me, Emma? _Regina called out to her beloved, laughing softly as she spoke telepathically to her wife.

Emma could help not the laughter that bubbled in her chest as the beautiful voice of her precious witch echoed in her mind. _It suits not to boast, my love, _she answered, watching ahead of her as Regina cast another teasing smile over her shoulder as they galloped through the meadow together, a former queen and a wayward princess, a midnight steed and a white stallion.

They rode to the borders of the castle grounds, to the grove of willow trees they had come to call their own. Emma watched as Regina, just ahead of her, slowed her steed enough to leap from its strong back and took off in a sprint toward their favorite tree. Emma slowed just enough to drop from her own horse before chasing after her wife on foot.

Regina's long, chocolate locks fanned out behind her as she ran, and as she turned to run backwards so that she could beckon her beloved to her, Emma's heart swelled to the point of bursting. Regina's beauty had always captivated her, had always stolen the very breath from her lungs, and she could be not but amazed by the softness of her wife's smile, the brightness in Regina's eyes. It arrested her as nothing ever had.

Emma gained on her wife quickly. Regina had always been superior atop a horse, yet her speed on foot rarely compared to that of Emma's, the princess having spent much of her youth on the run with her adoptive wolf mother. Within minutes, she was diving forward, capturing Regina around the waist and sending them both tumbling to the ground.

They both erupted in laughter as they rolled to a gentle stop in the tall grass beneath their favored willow, both peppering playful kisses over cheeks and noses, chins and lips. Emma planted a hand on the ground on either side of Regina's head as she hovered above her witch. She gazed down on her still-laughing wife and felt nothing but pure joy, love shining in her emerald eyes as they devoured one another with their gazes.

"You are beautiful," Emma whispered, her gaze alive with her sincerity.

The radiance of Regina's smile rivaled the sun as Emma's words melted into her skin and fluttered in her heart, and before she had even caught her breath, she threw a hand up and around the back of her wife's neck. The brunette latched onto the soft flesh there and pulled Emma swiftly down to crash their lips beautifully together, their bodies melting into one another beneath the shade of the willow's green and hanging tendrils.

Their lips slid and slipped together in perfect synchronicity, their bodies alive with the recognition that sang between their twin souls. They lost themselves in the heat of a perfect kiss, in a love that had the power to devour the world, and both women knew that no greater joy, no deeper affection, could ever exist than what was shared between them in that moment and in every moment.

The princess and the fallen queen gave themselves over to one another atop the soft cushion of the private grove, beneath an umbrella of shade beautifully hiding them from the sun. They exhausted themselves with heated touches and blazing kisses, laughing together as they rolled atop the grass and made love until they could hardly breathe, until both collapsed into one another in a tangle of limbs and slick skin.

When they were able to regain their breath, Regina rolled onto her side so that she could look upon her love as Emma lay on her back still slightly panting but smiling up at the fallen queen as if nothing existed beyond Regina in that moment. There was only her smile, her deep, dark eyes, and her flawless skin.

Regina's heart fluttered wildly in her chest as her princess smiled brightly at her. Emma had always had that effect on her and it only further grew in intensity with each passing sun and moon. She reached forward a hand to swipe away a few golden strands of hair from her beloved's face before taking one of Emma's soft hands in her own. Regina pulled her wife's hand forward, pressed it gently to the naked flesh of her chest, and whispered, "Do you feel that? When you look at me so, Emma, my heart races."

Emma closed her eyes and focused on the wild beat beneath her fingertips. A small smile graced her lips as she let the rhythm of Regina's heart spill into her hand and into her soul. When she opened her eyes again, dazzling emeralds shone with joy as Emma then pulled her wife's hand to her own bare chest and pressed Regina's palm smoothly against her flesh. "As does mine," she said softly.

They locked gazes then, both smiling beautifully at the other and reveling in the joy of having one another, of being a part of something so pure and so true. Neither had ever felt more alive, more magnificently present, than in moments such as these. These were the moments that filled their hearts, that served to remind both women of all they had survived, of all they had conquered in order to arrive at each other and share in a love unlike any to have ever existed before.

"You bring me such joy," Regina whispered as she pressed her lips to the flesh where her palm had lain only seconds prior, just above her beloved's heart. She then settled her head atop Emma's chest and lost herself to the feel of her princess's fingertips as they found their way into her hair, stroking through the long, dark locks and scratching lightly at her temples. "I never knew such happiness before you, Emma."

"This I know, my love," the princess whispered as her fingers filtered through Regina's hair. "It is my greatest hope to give you joy, to see that you know only such happiness all the days to come."

The fallen queen turned her head then and propped her chin atop Emma's chest so that she could look into her beloved's eyes. She smiled brightly and poked at the princess's sides as she teased, "Shall you do so by forever making love to me beneath the willows?"

Laughter burst from the blonde's lips as she ran her hands down Regina's sides and said, "If that is what you so desire, then yes, Regina. I shall _forever _make love to you beneath the willows."

Both women dissolved into laughter and tender kisses, each simply enjoying the comfort of the other. They had an ease to their love and their marriage that both cherished. There was never a moment of discomfort, never an awkwardness between them. They simply flowed together, graceful and fluid. It was the nature of destined Soul Mates, and Regina and Emma embodied it beautifully.

As their laughter faded into the breeze and died away, the golden-haired princess lifted a hand to stroke her beloved's cheek and said, "I will love you, Regina. Throughout all the years to come and whatever obstacles may rise, I will love you, and by my love, you shall have your happiness."

Tears glistened in chocolate eyes as Regina pressed a soft kiss to her wife's lips and whispered, "And by mine, you shall have yours."

They fell into a peaceful silence shortly after, their bodies entangled and their hearts sharing rhythm. Regina's head rested gently against Emma's chest as they settled into the soft grasses beneath the willow and before long, both the princess and the fallen queen fell sweetly into slumber.

* * *

Regina jolted awake as a familiar sound assaulted her ears, a sound she had heard not in well over two decades. Fear instantly shot through her heart and prickled across her flesh as the blaring echo of a winding horn ripped through the land, reverberating off the hills and spilling through the meadows. Her pulse jumped into a frantic rhythm as she shook her wife awake and urged the blonde to her feet.

"What is that sound?" Emma asked as she rubbed the bleariness of slumber from her emerald eyes.

"We must go, Emma," the fallen queen commanded, her voice ripe with anxiety, which instantly set the princess on edge. "We must return to the castle at once." She then snapped her fingers to redress them, waved her hand in the direction of the meadow where their horses grazed to transport the beasts back to the castle stables, and then pulled her wife into her shaking arms and enveloped them both in a swirl of purple smoke.

When they reappeared within their castle's dining hall, both Red and Blue were already there. Both women had fear in their eyes as Red stood before one of the large mirrors in the dining hall and repeatedly called out for Snow, only to be met with silence and shown not but her own reflection. Regina made to move toward them, but Emma gripped her wife's hand tightly and asked, "Regina, please, what frightens you so?"

The brunette's heart pounded forcefully in her chest as she turned terrified eyes to her beloved and said, "You would know little of it as it has sounded not in many years, not since before your birth, but it is the royal winding horn, Emma. It is sounded on only two occasions, my love. One such occasion is to signify an invasion of the kingdom, an attack."

Emma's flesh had begun to prickle painfully as she listened to the trepidation in her wife's voice, and her heart, too, began to beat wildly in her chest. "And the other?" she asked timidly, terrified of the answer.

Regina swallowed thickly and locked gazes with the princess before saying, "To signify the death of a royal."


	3. Chapter 3: A Royal Loss

**A/N: Hello again, everyone. I failed to mention this earlier, but I will say it now to any and all reading. If you have not read The Princess and the Prisoner prior to this story, you will need to do so. There will be many references throughout Hearts of Courage that you simply will be unable to understand without having read its predecessor. **

**Also, I wrote this chapter to the soundtrack of "Transcendence" by Audiomachine. Try it out. I hope you all enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Three: A Royal Loss

Regina squeezed Emma's hand tightly but for only a moment before she left the princess, still riddled with shock, in order to join the others. The fallen queen quickly crossed the room to where Red and Blue still stood before the large mirror.

"Have you made no contact whatsoever?" Regina asked, concern furrowing her brows and trembling in her bottom lip. "Have you seen not even a glimpse of Snow?"

Red turned wide, tearful eyes to the fallen queen and slowly shook her head back and forth. "I have been shown not but my own reflection. I fear…"

"As do I," Regina whispered, needing not for the taller brunette to complete her thought. They both greatly feared that the silence of the mirror and the absence of the raven-haired queen's reflection within it, paired with the sounding of the royal winding horn, could mean only one thing—the death of Snow White. The possibility of such a loss ached in the hearts of both Red and Regina. Both had certainly had their differences with the White Queen, especially the latter; however, both had worked through those differences and had grown the better for it. In the two years of marriage that she had shared with the White Princess, Regina and Snow had actually become much like family and truly as friends, a relationship that Regina now greatly cherished.

"Step aside," Emma's tremulous voice suddenly sounded from behind them. The three women did as told, though none were sure of the princess's intentions as many attempts had been made to contact the reigning queen already and each had failed. "Let not your fear narrow your mind," the blonde spoke to the others as she stepped toward the mirror, and though her eyes were wide and terror was etched across her features, she stood strong and as poised as ever. "Perhaps the mirror shows no reflection because no reflective surface currently exists near her or is facing opposite her. Therefore, I suggest that when you fail to reach one royal, you must try for another."

Recognition and understanding instantly flooded the eyes of the women surrounding her as Emma then turned her gaze to the mirror's surface and regally commanded, "Show me the White King."

Each of the four women gasped audibly as the reflective pane of the large mirror rippled before settling into a clear image of the King. His head rested atop the grass. His lips were parted and painted crimson with blood that had dripped down his chin, but it was his eyes that pierced Emma the most. They were open, soft and blue as they had always been, and yet they were still. They were wide and motionless, and in them, the princess saw no life. She saw no hint of the man she had once known. Those eyes were empty. They were dead.

"Oh gods," Blue whispered, her voice cracking terribly as a hand shot to cover her mouth. "It was James. The horn has sounded for the King."

Emma felt soft hands slip into each of hers, one of her wife and one of her mother, and both squeezed simultaneously as the princess only continued to stare into the cold, motionless eyes of the only father she had ever known. Emma's relationship with her father had been strained and less than familial for some time, but in the last two years, they had made great strides in reconnecting and forgiving, though they still had a long road ahead of them. They now would never travel that road. James was gone and Emma was left reeling, images of her childhood bursting brilliantly behind her eyes—her father's wide smile and loud, heartened laughter as he spun her around in his arms or rode with her through the castle grounds. All the best memories of her father filtered into her mind in that moment and stole the breath from her lungs.

Whatever reflective surface they seemed to be looking through was vastly unsteady. It rocked back and forth, causing the image of James to rhythmically move closer then further then closer again, and when two soft, pale hands suddenly appeared in the image, stroking at the face of the fallen king, Regina gasped loudly. The movement of the image now made perfect sense to the brunette as she realized that they were peering through the reflective surface of the locket worn around Snow White's neck. It had been a gift to the reigning queen from Regina herself on the raven-haired woman's Name Day just a year prior—a locket that had belonged to Snow's mother, Eva. Regina had found it in her cloaked castle vault. When she discovered that it contained a picture of both a young Snow and a smiling Eva, she knew instantly to whom it had belonged and that the White Queen would surely wish to have it.

"Allow us to hear," Regina quickly commanded the mirror, and as soon as the reflective pane glowed a bright blue, the guttural, heart-wrenching sobs of a distraught Snow White spilled into the room.

"No, no, my love, please," Snow sobbed loudly. None could see her face, but each could hear the sorrow in her voice. And then the reigning queen thoroughly surprised them all by screaming out, "Regina!"

Emma turned wide, wet eyes to her wife, who seemed to only be genuinely confused. Snow's voice echoed through the room again, though she seemed now to be yelling at someone nearby, a guard most likely. "Why is she not coming?!" the reigning queen screamed, her voice broken and growling. "Sound the horn again!" Fair hands stroked at the King's face once more as Snow's voice, only just loud and commanding, instantly softened again and said, "Just hold on, my darling. Regina will come."

Regina's gasp echoed through the dining hall again as swift realization spilled into her mind. James must have been harmed or attacked some distance from the castle, too far to reach the palace in time, and Snow had ordered the winding horn, carried by all royal guards in case an attack were to occur, sounded to alert Regina of the incident. Snow would have known that Emma would recognize not the sound, but Regina would, and thus the fallen queen would hopefully come to her aid.

"Oh gods," Regina exclaimed and then before any of the others even managed to speak a word, the fallen queen was gone, disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

* * *

Regina thought only of Snow as she teleported, and when the swirling cloud of purple dissipated, she found herself in a wide, open field. Her eyes instantly found the reigning queen as Snow, flanked by two of the royal guard, sat upon the ground only a short distance from her. Regina nodded to the guards in acknowledgement as tears slipped from her eyes, and they returned the sentiment silently, both men frozen and solemn in the wake of tragedy.

The reigning queen lay nearly on top of her deceased husband, sobbing forcefully and pressing gentle touches and kisses to his cheeks and forehead. Regina's heart nearly crumbled in her chest as she took in the gut-wrenching sight of the woman she had once loathed and now dearly loved, and the fallen queen dreaded what she would have to do.

"Snow," Regina called softly as she stepped forward and toward the distraught woman.

Raven locks whipped back as Snow White's head shot up and her bright, emerald eyes locked onto the fallen queen's. "Regina!" she cried through her tears, a deluded yet hopeful smiling lighting her face. "I knew you would come. Please, help him!"

As the reigning queen turned to face her, Regina was better able to see both Snow and the fallen king. The breast and midsection Snow's white dress was soaked and stained crimson as was the chest of the king. Regina then noticed multiple discarded and bloody arrow shafts upon the ground near James' body, which informed her that the king had indeed been attacked, and the fallen queen's heart sank into her stomach.

"Regina!" Snow cried again, her patience gone and her features contorted in pain. "Please, why do you hesitate? Help him."

Every part of Regina ached in that moment as she summoned the courage to inform the reigning queen that her hesitation mattered not, as all hope for the life of the king had faded. She needed not examine the man and hardly allowed her gaze to touch him beyond the wounds he had endured, as she had seen his blue eyes in the mirror's reflection prior to her arrival—still, cold…lifeless. James was gone, and though Regina knew that Snow knew as much as well, she recognized the woman's denial.

"Snow," the fallen queen said softly, her voice audibly cracking and her chocolate eyes coated thickly with tears, "I hesitate because I am unable to aid him."

"No, no, no!" Snow screamed, launching to her feet and running to the fallen queen. She latched onto Regina's hands and squeezed them tightly as she tugged at the brunette's arms. "You _can_ help him, Regina! You _must_!"

Regina squeezed Snow's hands just as tightly and spoke through her tears, "I am so sorry, Snow. He is gone."

"He is NOT gone!" Snow growled out before thoroughly surprising the brunette by slamming her palms fiercely into Regina's chest. Regina stumbled backward at first, her eyes wide, but then she remembered her own anger after Daniel had died and so she simply swallowed her pride and stepped forward again, reaching for the raven-haired woman. Snow pushed violently at her again, punching her hands into Regina's chest and arms over and over while sobbing and angrily screaming, "He is your king, and it is your duty to save him! He is Emma's father! You will—"

Before Snow was able to continue her rant, Regina grabbed one of her arms as it shot forward again, and spun the reigning queen around. Regina pulled Snow's back to her and wrapped her arms as tightly around the woman as she could manage. The White Queen struggled and strained against her at first, but Regina held tightly to her and whispered in her ear. "He is gone, Snow. He is gone." And with those words, repeated over and over, the reality of James' death sank painfully in and Snow White crumbled.

She sank heavily into Regina's embrace, her back pressed against the fallen queen's chest. Her knees buckled beneath her as the weight of her sorrow crashed atop her shoulders and forced her to the ground, Regina following her down with her arms still locked around the raven-haired woman. Snow practically crawled into the fallen queen's lap as she turned and pressed her head into the brunette's shoulder and sobbed so forcefully that her entire body shook violently in Regina's arms.

Regina simply held Snow tightly and rocked the woman back and forth as she did her best to console her. "Breathe, Snow," Regina whispered, running a shaky hand through loose raven locks and hoping that it somehow would help to soothe, though she knew it never truly would. She knew that nothing could ease the ache of losing one's True Love, and then Regina thought of Emma. The mere thought of losing the golden-haired princess made Regina's stomach churn and her heart ache and pound wildly in her chest. She knew there would be no comfort for Snow White any time soon, if ever, though she still dared to wish that there could be.

As the fallen queen held tightly to her former enemy, she mentally called out to her wife across the distance that separated them. _Emma_, she said softly, _I know you are sorrowed, my love, but I believe you are the only one who might be able to comfort your mother. You should come. _

Her beloved's response was instantaneous, and Regina was surprised by the princess's response as the words echoed through her mind. _I am here, Regina. _

Regina's head shot up to survey her surroundings and when she saw no sign of her wife, she turned slightly to peer behind her, and there her eyes locked with emerald. Emma, Red, and Blue stood a short distance behind Regina, watching as the fallen queen held and rocked a destroyed Snow White. Each of the three women had tears spilling from their eyes and marring their cheeks as they held hands tightly and looked sadly on.

After several long minutes of respectful silence for the fallen king, but for the heart-wrenching cries of his wife, Red stepped slowly forward and reached for the raven-haired woman. She easily lifted an inconsolable Snow out of Regina's arms and cradled her close to her chest. She planted a tender kiss to Snow's temple before nodding to Regina. The fallen queen rose to her feet and waved a hand. Red and Snow were instantly enveloped in purple smoke as Regina transported them magically to the White castle.

She then turned and opened her arms for her beloved princess. Emma went into them willingly, her resolve crumbling as she sank into her wife's warm and loving embrace. Regina held her Soul Mate many long moments, her fingers sifting gently through long, golden locks, before she pulled back just enough to gaze into tearful emerald eyes. The fallen queen pressed a loving kiss to Emma's cheek and whispered, "Take Blue and go to the palace, Emma. Be with Snow. She will need you. She shall need us all in the days to come."

Emma nodded softly as Regina wiped the tears tenderly from her cheeks. "What will you do, Regina?"

The fallen queen smiled softly at her darling wife before pressing another kiss to her pink lips. "I must do what your mother is unable to. I shall see you shortly, darling. This, I promise you."

"Very well," the princess whispered, sighing heavily as she leaned into her wife's embrace a final time. They squeezed each other tightly, pouring their love and devotion into their embrace, before separating again. Emma moved to stand beside a tear-stained Blue. She slipped her hand into the erstwhile fairy's and transported them away in swirling purple.

* * *

As soon as Emma and Blue disappeared, Regina jumped into action. She made her way across short span of field and descended to her knees beside the motionless body of the fallen White King. She cleared her mind of the darker memories she harbored of the man and thought only of him, in that moment, as the man responsible for the existence of her beloved Soul Mate and the husband of a woman she dearly loved. For those reasons, Regina's heart filled with respect and affection for the fallen king. She reached a gentle hand forward and softly closed the king's eyes while whispering, "May the gods grant you peace, James."

She then lifted to her feet once more and waved her hands over the ground. James' body was instantly cleaned of the blood staining his clothing, and the still-open wounds in his chest and abdomen closed and cleared away. He seemed only to be sleeping peacefully as Regina then waved her hand again to transport his body back to the White castle.

As the swirling purple smoke faded and dissipated to reveal only vacant grass, Regina rounded quickly on the two guards still frozen in place and awaiting order. Fire burned in the fallen queen's chocolate gaze as she finally allowed her fury to rise to the surface and faced the men. What good were royal guards if they were unable to shield or save those that they were honor and duty bound to protect? It was madness.

The fallen queen knew well that the royal army would be assembling at the castle in that very moment. The call of the winding horn would have alerted them to duty and all would be awaiting orders of war from their monarchs, an order that Regina knew well would never come; at least, not this day. This day was for grieving.

Regina straightened her back, lifted her head regally, and her authoritative voice demanded answers as she asked, "What happened here?"

"There was an attack," one of the guards quickly answered.

The fallen queen could help not but to roll her eyes at the obvious answer before she cleared her throat and drawled out, "Clearly. Perhaps you could elaborate?"

"Apologies, Highness," the guard sneered, though his voice was thick with the sorrow he obviously felt over the loss of his king. The royal guard had all been commanded by Snow to refer to Regina as a titled Princess after her marriage to the White Princess, Emma, which was truly strange to Regina given she had once been their queen; however, many of the royal guard were none too fond of doing so even after two full years. While many truly believed Regina redeemed, given her marriage to Emma and the news of her defeat of the Dark One, many others persisted in their view of her as the Evil Queen and nothing more. "Arrows were fired from the tree line, there," he grumbled, pointing to the distant right of where they now stood, "and the King was struck thrice in the chest."

Regina nodded slowly before asking, "Was the archer pursued?"

"No, Your Highness," the other guard chimed in, his voice much more amiable toward Regina than that of the first. "As we are only two, we believed it more prudent to protect the queen."

The fallen queen nodded once more and said, "You believed correctly."

Regina's thoughts were electric in that moment, buzzing loudly and ripping fiercely through her mind as she tried to unravel the riddle of the attack. Such a move would likely not be made as an attempt to declare war. In this land, decisions of war were rather diplomatic. It hardly ever was a sudden occurrence or impulsive action, but rather a matter of politics—declared by monarchies alone and thoroughly prepared for prior to engaging. This attack seemed much too sudden, much too solitary…much too personal, and Regina intended to discover its source and what exactly the king's attacker hoped to gain through such an awful display of treason and murder.

"Return to the castle at once," Regina commanded the guards. "A royal shall speak with the guard within an hour's time."

Both men nodded in answer before turning to collect their steeds as the animals had wandered off in the field to graze. Regina stood, watching them go as anxiety bubbled in her chest and rolled uncomfortably in her stomach. The events of the day left her unsettled and highly on guard, for the fallen queen had an ominous feeling that something much larger was at play than an attack on the White King; something much darker.


	4. Chapter 4: A Tether and Void

**A/N: This is a fairly short chapter, but I think it is quite necessary. It is meant to give you a glimpse into Snow's grief and how it extends to the others. I hope you all enjoy.**

**I wrote this chapter to the soundtrack of "Dark Night of the Soul" by Philip Wesley. You will most definitely want to use it while you read, as it certainly empowers the content of this chapter. XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Four: A Tether and Void

The air thickened with the despairing sounds of Snow White's lament as the reigning queen slipped from Red's arms and slowly approached the royal bed she had long shared with her husband. She brushed her fingers gently atop the silken sheets blanketing the side where James always slumbered and closed her eyes as she pictured her lost love lying there, peaceful, and as handsome as the day they first met.

Tears spilled from her emerald eyes and carved burning paths down her fair cheeks as she gently pulled back the sheets and slipped beneath them. Snow turned her face into her husband's pillow and breathed in the lingering scent of the king. Her breath came in shallow gasps as great, soul-rending moans tore from her throat and echoed about the royal bedchamber. The White Queen's loss lived openly in every inch of the room, reverberating off of the walls only to seep back into her flesh and assault her heart once more. She could escape it not.

"Oh, my love," she cried into the king's pillow, breathing him in ever deeper as the day's light faded outside the grand window, just beyond the distant hills, and cast the colors of her pain upon her—vibrant reds and oranges, violent as the grief in her soul and the void in her heart where her one True Love had only just been. That void would forever remain within her as was the curse of losing one's True Love, as was the price to be paid for harnessing such magic in one's lifetime.

True Love was a precious and rare magic, a highly coveted gift and one to be cherished and fought for beyond all things; however, as with all magic of such magnitude, it too carried its price. To have True Love was to be tethered to another in a sharing of hearts. Such a connection was a blessing in life, offering perpetual fulfillment and endless joy if fought for and maintained. As such, losing one's True Love effectively shredded the tether as one heart was torn from the other to leave naught but a gaping hole in its place, a void that could never again be filled. It was considered, by many, to be the ultimate pain, a grief even greater than that of losing one's children. It had driven many to madness and even to the sorrow of taking one's own life.

* * *

Red stood silently beside the door of Snow White's bedchamber, tears marring her cheeks as she bowed her head and listened to the sorrowful sounds of the queen's melancholy. Her heart ached fiercely in her chest for the woman she had long considered her dearest friend, the woman she shared a daughter with, and all grievances that had once existed solidly between them fizzled and faded entirely into the shadowy wake of a tragedy that would surely rock the kingdom, if not the entire realm.

She was pulled to attention as swirling tendrils of purple smoke filtered into the room before dissipating to reveal her child, hand-in-hand with her lover, the erstwhile fairy, Blue. She locked gazes with the golden-haired princess whose emerald eyes, so like Snow's, were dim and brimming with tears. Red beckoned Emma forward, opening her arms to embrace her daughter. They held each other many long moments, both clinging to the comfort offered in the other's warm embrace, before releasing their holds. Red pressed a gentle kiss to Emma's forehead before motioning toward the bed where the reigning queen still lay in mourning, and the White Princess nodded heavily to show her understanding.

Red then reached for Blue and embraced her as well. She wrapped strong arms around the small brunette and both watched, eyes wet and hearts bursting, as Emma crossed the room to the grand bed and silently eased down upon it. The princess then wordlessly wrapped her arms around her birthmother from behind and held the reigning queen tightly.

Both Red and Blue closed their eyes and sank into the other's embrace as the sorrow of the day fell upon them in the shadows of the royal bedchamber, each woman present feeling its heavy weight upon their hearts, but none more so, of course, than the raven-haired woman tucked tightly into Emma's arms. The wolf and the former fairy feared for the wellbeing of the queen, as both were well aware of the void caused by the loss of one's True Love. Red, herself, carried the void of her own loss each passing moon, the True Love whose life she herself had taken. And Blue had lived many centuries to witness the madness and death such grief had set upon sorrowed souls. Thus, both women reveled in the comfort they had found in one another, a comfort that surely would serve to help them both through this difficult time.

* * *

Emma held tightly to her birthmother and willed her magic forth. Waves of warmth seeped from her body and poured into Snow's as the princess softly and slowly rocked the reigning queen through echoing cries and heart-wrenching sobs. Emma allowed her own tears to silently fall as she buried her face into the raven locks of her birthmother and breathed in Snow's familiar scent, an aroma that always reminded her of her childhood. It comforted her even as her heart ached deeply for the loss of her father and for the grief of the woman he left behind.

"I am with you, Mother," the princess whispered into Snow's hair. "You shall not endure this pain alone."

Snow only sobbed harder as her daughter's words fell like sorrowed, yet beautiful music upon her ears. She melted into the princess's embrace, and Emma only held her tighter, offering her as much strength and as much comfort as one could manage in a time such as this. Though it eased not her pain so soon after her loss, the reigning queen was deeply grateful for Emma's presence and the kindness of her heart.

Emma's eyes darted up and over the top of Snow just as a swirl of purple smoke signified the arrival of her beloved wife. The princess's emerald eyes instantly locked with deep chocolate as Regina materialized just to the side of Snow's bed. They held each other's gazes for several long moments before Regina cast a sorrowed glance to the reigning queen.

_I must speak with you, darling, _Emma heard Regina's voice whisper in her mind. _It is quite urgent. _

_ Very well, _the princess answered softly, _but we must first aid Snow. _

As soon as the words filtered into the fallen queen's mind, Regina was kneeling in front of the grand bed. She reached forth a hand to tuck away several strands of raven hair so that she could see Snow's tear-streaked face. "If you wish, I can help you to slumber, Snow," she said, speaking softly.

The White Queen's bleary gaze held Regina's for only a moment before she silently nodded her consent. Regina then leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to Snow's forehead before waving a hand over the reigning queen's body and within seconds, Snow drifted into a peaceful slumber, one magically ensured to offer her respite from the nightmares that were sure to plague her in the coming days.

Once Snow was comfortably at rest, Emma carefully extracted herself from her birthmother and took Regina's hand, which was extended, open, and waiting for hers. They made their way quietly from the royal bedchamber, Regina leading them quickly toward the Council Room, followed closely by Red and Blue.


	5. Chapter 5: Royal Roots

**A/N: Things are about to get quite dramatic. :) I wrote this chapter to the soundtrack of "Turning Point" by Audiomachine. I hope you will give it a try as you read. Enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Five: Royal Roots

The four women swept swiftly into the Council Room of the White castle and gathered around the large round planning table in the center of the room. Regina and Emma took the seats typically delegated to the royals, while Red took the open seat to Emma's left and Blue settled into the one on Regina's right. Regina's face was grave as she took a moment to gather her thoughts, glancing to each of the women surrounding her and dreading the conversation about to take place.

"Should we not invite the Royal Guard to Council?" Blue asked timidly as she took in the despairing expression on Regina's face. She subtly reached over and patted the fallen queen's hand gently atop the table, a show of support that Regina was truly grateful for.

There still passed many days when Regina found herself truly in awe of how thoroughly she had changed. She once would have had the head of any person who attempted to touch her in such a manner. She once was a stranger to friendship, to love, to affection, and to all in-between, and yet now she readily accepted those gentle touches and those silent displays of support. She relished the moments in which she could look into the eyes of Red or Blue and see only loyalty and love and respect shining back at her. She reveled in the laughter they would share together, in the little moments of joy and lightheartedness that would often simply sneak upon them. It was moments such as these that only further fueled Regina's knowledge that she would always choose this life, this beautiful new life, over the one she lived before. She would never again choose anger or power or revenge. She would always choose love. She would always choose friendship, and she would always choose family.

"Not quite yet, Blue," Regina said as she turned up her hand to squeeze the former fairy's gently as a show of gratitude for the support.

"What have you learned?" Emma asked her wife, sensing that something was bothering Regina, something that the witch wished to share with _them_ but keep from the Royal Guard; at least, for now.

"Very little, dear," Regina regretfully informed the princess. "However, it is what I know _not_ that troubles me so."

The fallen queen then took a deep breath before launching into what she knew of the day's events as well as the fears she harbored as a result. "As I understand it, it was but a simple outing. Snow and James were but walking in the meadows, flanked by two of the Royal Guard, when an attack was launched from within the wooded area surrounding the meadow. James was struck thrice in the chest, and as only two guards were present, the archer was pursued not. Both guards remained with Snow, to protect her, until my arrival."

"An assassination," Red said quietly, bowing her head. She, Blue, and Emma had been unsure of the king's cause of death given that only Regina had approached the body, and though Red had certainly feared this to be the case, to have such an assumption verbally confirmed was a shocking and jarring experience. She reached over to lace her fingers through her child's before asking, "What shall this mean for the kingdom? Shall we go to war?"

"As of now, no," Regina answered authoritatively, looking every bit the queen she once had been. "One cannot wage war when one knows not his enemy. We must first discover the source of the attack, and I fear, given the calculated nature of the attack as well as the fact that the queen, herself, was not targeted as well, that perhaps the king's assassination was merely the beginning."

"The beginning?" Blue asked, her voice trembling as endless terrifying possibilities flashed quickly through her mind. "Of what?"

"Of something much larger, much darker," Regina answered her honestly. "I know not why I assume as much, as I can explain it not. I simply have a feeling, one which continues to gnaw at me."

"Yes, I feel it as well," Emma chimed in as Regina's emotions and fears rippled through their shared bond and assaulted the princess as well, "and I trust in your instincts, Regina. You should as well. How shall we proceed?"

"You must issue an order of command to the Royal Guard," the fallen queen informed her wife, to which Emma could only gape.

"Why must _I _issue an order of command? What am I even to command?" the blonde asked, worry etching quickly into her features.

"Calm yourself, darling," Regina said with a soft smile as Red squeezed Emma's hand encouragingly. "It must be you as you are the royal princess and rightful heir to the throne of the kingdom. Snow is currently unable to speak with them, and while I now share your title as a result of our marriage, many of the Guard are unwilling to heed my command. Understandably, many of the men trust me not and shall only continue to view me as the Evil Queen. It must be you, Emma. They will listen to you."

"How can you know as much?" Emma asked, fear brewing inside her. "I have spoken not with any of the Royal Guard since the age of ten, and then I was merely screeching for the release of my witch from captivity. They may now see me as nothing more than the wayward princess who married the Evil Queen."

The three other women in the room could help not but to dissolve into laughter upon hearing the blonde's words. It was a blessed reprieve from the burdening weight of the day and the events sure to come. Regina smiled as she leaned over and pressed a loving kiss to her wife's cheek, saying, "Well then surely they shall admire your conviction, dear. After all, here I sit, no longer a captive."

Both Blue and Red laughed again at the fallen queen's words, and each held onto the moment, recognizing the blessing that such a relief was in the midst of chaos and heartache. The loss suffered was more than merely personal, as James had been not only the husband and father of two very dear women in their small, perfect family, but he had also been their kingdom's crowned King. To lose a royal such as he, was a loss that would echo throughout the entirety of the lands. It was a loss that would touch any and all within the kingdom's borders and would carry with it a ripple effect that would undoubtedly reach the surrounding kingdoms as well. Such a loss was heavy in its magnitude and meant so much more than heartache. It carried with it a number of possibilities, each darker than the next.

"Regina is right," Red agreed, once the laughter among them had faded. "It must be you."

"What shall I say?" Emma asked, her face growing paler by the second now that the magnitude of her duty as princess began to sink fully in.

"Oh that is quite simple," Regina said, squeezing her wife's hand and nodding encouragingly. "You need not worry, darling."

* * *

Emma requested that both Red and Blue return to the White Queen's chambers to see that Snow remained in slumber and would be not alone were she to wake, and of course, both readily agreed. She and Regina then made their way quickly toward the castle's Throne Room where the Royal Guard had been ordered to gather and await command.

Regina held out a hand quickly to halt the princess just prior to entrance. When her beloved turned curious eyes to her, the fallen queen smiled softly and said, "We must wait to be announced, darling. It reminds all of your status and power, and thus, your commandments shall be not questioned."

The princess took a heavy breath and nodded her understanding. She knew little of Royal Court as she had been not a part of it since the young age of ten. Once she had fled the White castle as a child, Emma lived out the following years as a commoner, as an outlaw. She had never truly lived, at least not in her adult life, as a royal and found it now rather overwhelming. She knew not to await announcement. She knew not how to address the Royal Guard and knew only what to say as a result of her wife's guidance. It was terrifying to own such power and carry now such responsibility and yet know not what to do with it, know not how to wield it. She felt as if she were drowning slowly, simply attempting to keep her head above water in a life, a world, she no longer understood—that of a princess, of a royal.

She had never truly contemplated the idea of her future outside of choosing to spend it with Regina. Her roots were royal, yes, but Emma was a wild tree, free and limitless. The knowledge that she would one day inherit her birthmother's crown ever evaded her mind and seemed truly unreal, and yet she had also never entertained the idea of a tragedy such as the death of one of her birthparents forcing her to take such responsibility at such a young age. She was unsure of whether or not she could truly play the part of the royal princess, yet she was made quickly aware that she would simply have to. No other option existed, and it made Emma wonder what her life would have been, who _she _would have been, had she remained in the White castle all those years ago, had she grown as a princess as opposed to a bandit. She never regretted her choice, though, not even in a time such as this, when having been raised as a princess would have made these moments much simpler.

Emma felt Regina's soft hand slip quickly into hers. She spared a glance to her beloved to see that the fallen queen's head was faced forward and held high. She was a perfect picture of regality and royalty even after decades outside of royal status, as a prisoner no less. Emma was purely in awe of her. Regina smiled softly then, despite the fact that she kept her eyes forward, before she quickly raised a hand and snapped her fingers.

Instantly, both Regina and Emma were enveloped in a cloud of purple smoke which then dissipated to reveal a complete change in wardrobe. Where they had each only just been dressed in their typical soft tunics and leather pants, they now were perfect pictures of royalty. Emma glanced down at herself to see that she now wore a flowing emerald gown, accentuating the more feminine aspects of her body, and as she raised a hand to her head, she realized that her hair was pulled into an elegant twist and atop her golden curls sat a crown she had worn not in many, many years. Regina must have summoned her princess crown from the castle vault, and Emma knew not why, but wearing the crown brought tears to her eyes. It was a reminder of her childhood and of all she had endured, of the life she once had lived.

The princess then turned to look at her wife. Regina was clad in a similarly flowing gown of deep purple. While it was elaborate and worked wonders for the woman's already stunning figure, Emma was surprised and perhaps a bit disappointed to see that the gown was only a touch Evil Queen. It certainly was less conservative than the typical wear of queens; however, it also was not quite as dramatic or extreme as the many outfits that Regina had worn during her reign of the kingdom. Her hair was twisted up as well, but much more elaborate than Emma's own, which the princess was thankful for. While her wife had quite the flair for style and fashion, Emma herself was rather subdued. She had grown quite accustomed to the simplicity of pants and tunics and of course, her leather boots. It had been many long years since she had worn a royal gown, or a gown of any sort with the exception of her wedding day, and so she felt rather out of place. Regina, however, appeared quite at home.

Moments later, the massive doors of the royal Throne Room swung open and the princess quickly scrambled to compose herself as Regina had done. She held her head high despite the tightness in her chest and the roaring anxiety ripping through her gut. That anxiety only increased as she took in the sight of the crowded Throne Room, packed with the members of the Royal Guard as well as the castle workers—cooks, maids, stablemen, pages, and the like.

The herald's voice boomed loudly throughout the Throne Room as he cried, "Her Royal Highness and heir to the throne, Princess Emma, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Regina."

Regina mentally disciplined herself in order to keep from dramatically rolling her eyes at being referred to as a princess. She truly had hung upon every rung of the social ladder—from princess to lady to queen to witch to _evil_ queen to prisoner to outlaw to commoner and now back to princess. It was rather exhausting, though Regina had to admit to herself at least that while she no longer cared for status or title, being titled a princess in the land you once ruled as queen felt rather ridiculous, if not a touch degrading.

She swallowed that bit of pride within her, though, that was bothered by it and complained not, because she knew that even such a title as princess was a far cry from what she deserved. Regina was deluded not into thinking she deserved to maintain her title as queen. She had greatly abused her power and well deserved the punishment she received, and truthfully, it still rather stunned her to have been afforded the opportunity and right to love and to be loved by one such as Emma, who was not only a royal but also the most beautiful person Regina had ever known. The fallen queen desired not to own another royal title, but she would carry it regardless. She would bear any title or no title at all as long as she remained with Emma.

The fallen queen and the White princess entered the royal Throne Room regally and made their way silently to the dais as all in the room made a show of respect. The men of the room dropped to a knee while the women dipped into curtsies. Emma and Regina took to the steps of the dais before the blonde princess lowered herself into Snow White's throne. Out of respect for the fallen king, Regina refused to sit upon his throne. She, instead, stood to the right of Snow's throne, a hand resting gently atop Emma's shoulder.

Emma's nerves were nearly electric as she swallowed thickly and loudly stated, "You may rise."

The men of the Guard lifted off of their knees while the women rose from their curtsies and all locked gazes on the princess, which only made her anxiety increase. She felt as though she were standing before a firing squad, her entire body buzzing and her mind unable to truly process the moment. How she had ever been expected to become queen, she could understand not, because this was truly a terrifying experience, and she had merely to speak to the people. She could contemplate not what it would mean to actually lead the kingdom.

_You are fine, my love, _she heard Regina's voice whisper in her mind. _Calm your heart__, and speak as we discussed._

Emma nodded subtly and took another deep, steadying breath before calling out to the gathered crowd once more. "I speak to you this day on behalf of my mother, Queen Snow. It is with true regret and profound sorrow that I inform each of you this day that my father, King James, is slain."

Though word had surely spread of the king's death from the two guards who had witnessed the attack, the Throne Room still erupted into gasps and cries of shock. The princess stopped for a moment to catch her breath as a wave of pain shot through her heart and tears sprang to her eyes. She was unsure of whether she could do this, whether she could continue. She felt her wife's hand gently squeeze her shoulder, and it offered her much comfort. She let that comfort fill her body and provide her strength to finish what she had begun.

"Little is known of the assassination at present time; however, I assure each of you that I shall let not this treason go unpunished as I shall find the source of the attack and provide my departed father his rightful justice," Emma continued, effectively silencing the crowd once more. "An official notice of the king's passing shall be heralded throughout the kingdom by day's end tomorrow, and the royal burial ceremony shall be held in two days' time, at which point your queen shall address you. Mourning attire shall be the mandated dress throughout the kingdom for a full weeks' time beginning at dawn on the day of the royal burial ceremony."

The princess took another deep breath, tears building in her eyes as the people before her each began to subtly wipe at their wet cheeks and gentle sobs sounded throughout the crowd. It was quite clear that the people had rather loved her father, their king. "As for the Royal Guard, no preparation for battle is necessary at this time; however, each of you shall remain diligent on post and alert to any foul play on or about the castle grounds whilst we investigate the king's assassination. Should you gain any suspicion, you are to report immediately to either myself or Regina as we shall be residing within the castle for the time being. Have you any questions, you may ask them of your queen in two days' time. Light a candle for your king this evening, and let not his memory fade."

Each person in the room bowed their heads in a show of respect to the princess's final words before Emma stood slowly from Snow's throne and announced, "Dismissed." The crowd dipped into curtsies and dropped to their knees once more as Emma and Regina then quickly made their way down the dais and out of the Throne Room.

As soon as the two destined Soul Mates entered the corridor and the doors of the Throne Room clicked closed behind them, Emma turned and launched herself into Regina's arms, her heart pounding forcefully against her ribcage. She buried her face into her wife's neck just as she felt Regina's arms wrap tightly around her.

"Thank you for being with me," Emma whispered against her beloved's soft flesh.

"Always, darling," Regina promised as she held on tightly and thought of all the trying times ahead, times in which Emma would undoubtedly need her even more; for certain trials awaited them both, trials that neither could even begin to imagine.


	6. Chapter 6: The Queen's Speech

**A/N: Hello everyone. I wrote this chapter to the soundtrack of "Remember Me" by Thomas Bergersen. Give it a go as you read. It is a wonderful addition to the text. I hope you all enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Six: The Queen's Speech

Regina woke to a sudden ache in her heart, a profound sorrow in her soul, and the soft sounds of her beloved's quiet sobs and sniffles. As dark lashes fluttered over waking chocolate eyes, the fallen queen was greeted by the sight of bright moonlight flooding a room that belonged not to her. It took only a moment for the previous day's events to rush back and remind the brunette of where she was and why. Her wife's gentle cries touched her again like a sorrowed lullaby, and Regina quickly turned over in the bed of one of the White castle's royal guest chambers and was met with the shuddering back of her princess as Emma cried quietly yet heavily into a thoroughly soaked pillow.

The fallen queen fought back the tears that threatened her own eyes, tears inspired by Emma's grief which she felt deeply through their bond as Soul Mates, as if it were her own grief, as if it were her own father to be buried on the morrow. She hesitated not in eradicating the small space of chilled sheets separating her body from her beloved's as she gently brushed aside cascading golden curls, pressed her lips to the back of Emma's neck, and slipped her arms around the princess's slim waist.

Regina held her wife tightly and slowly rocked her back and forth as Emma wept for the father she once had loved so deeply, the father who once had given her such joy, the father that had then betrayed her, the father that had nearly taken her life, the father that had begged her forgiveness, and the father she had longed to fully make amends with one day. She mourned for the gentle man she would never know again, the father she hoped he would have been for her again once the pain of the past had settled and lessened, and the grandfather he could have been to the children she eventually hoped to bear with the love of her life. Finally, she ached for the pain endured now by her birthmother, Snow.

Emma could only imagine such searing loss. On more than one occasion, the princess had come quite close to knowing the grief of losing one's True Love permanently, and yet she and Regina had always managed to find a way to overcome the odds. Even the thought of ever having to bear the pain of a life without her witch, however, was crippling, was debilitating, and was all-encompassing. It washed over her as an acid rain as she thought of Snow and the soulful sorrow that the raven-haired queen would undoubtedly be forced to carry with her all the remaining days of her life.

"Oh Emma," Regina whispered softly as she tenderly rocked the princess and ran her fingers gently along the fair flesh of her wife's long arms, "your grief pains me so, my love."

No words escaped the princess. The only sounds emanating from the blonde's throat were that of her sobs as she quickly turned her body inside her lover's embrace and buried her face in the crook of Regina's neck and the swell of her chest. The fallen queen easily adjusted to Emma's sudden movement and quickly tightened her arms around the princess once more. She ran gentle fingers through golden curls and hummed softly in the quiet of the guest chamber as the moonlight painted them both pale.

"There will come a day, love, when this heavy sorrow will be naught more than a distant memory," Regina whispered to her Soul Mate as she planted tender kisses in Emma's hair and along her tear-stained cheek. "It will pass, Emma, and then you shall be able to let go of all you have kept so harbored within, all that I feel stirring as war within you now. You need not be so strong with me, my love. I love you even in darkness, and your grief is my own. Keep not those sorrows beneath the surface, for as I know well, they will drown you if you let them. Share with me, Emma. Please, share with me. Let me help you."

A heavy, staggered sigh sounded from the princess's lips, pressed gently to Regina's slender neck, and only seconds later, Emma complied with her wife's wish. She opened herself and her emotions entirely to the bond that tethered her soul to the fallen queen's. All that the blonde had been repressing, aches she had acknowledged not in years, sprang to the surface and rippled across the bond, wrenching from Emma's own heart and spilling into Regina's.

The witch gasped loudly as a rushing torrent of emotion flooded into her,—anger, sorrow, regret, guilt, fury, anxiety, fear—all bringing her heart to the sudden brink of explosion. A guttural sob wrenched loudly from Regina's throat as she clenched her arms even tighter around her princess. Fast tears carved stinging paths down her cheeks as she quickly clamped her eyes closed and summoned images of the precious times she and Emma had experienced together in the past two years of marriage and even before. It was something Regina had taught herself to do when the memories of her own past crept into her days and lay as stones upon her heart. She needed those images now. She needed them simply to withstand the weight of her beloved's grief in that moment, and as the vivid memories flooded beautifully into her mind, Regina connected to Emma telepathically and shared all that danced inside her head.

Emma's own gasp echoed through the quiet chamber as she gently pulled back from her wife's embrace and stared, awestruck, into tearful chocolate eyes. Regina smiled softly at her as the images, the precious memories, continued to play behind both their eyes—Emma walking alongside a creek making magical bursts of light in the air as Regina laughed beautifully beside her. Their first fully shared kiss and the heat that blazed between them as their lips touched. The two of them lying beneath the stars as they spoke in foggy breaths about wishes. A brilliant smile painting Emma's tired face as she revealed the beautiful magic she'd made in restoring Regina's tarnished and ruined castle. The reverent way with which they touched one another the very first time they made love. Regina leaning forward to kiss the soft, furry head of a massive white wolf with emerald eyes. The rolling green of a meadow where they stood together in white dresses surrounded by their families and vowed to forever love one another. The laughter rippling through the air as Regina raced ahead of Emma on horseback. Early morning swims beneath freezing waterfalls. Steaming baths and wandering hands. Tender kisses and warm embraces. Magical music and light shows as they giggled childishly together and reveled in their love. Endless talks of their future.

The images flickered rapidly through both their minds, shredding through their shared sorrow and igniting the joy created by their eternal bond and their overwhelmingly powerful love. They stared deeply into one another's eyes as all that they had always been to each other and all that they would always be settled atop them like a blanketing shower of comfort, and both sighed deeply with relief.

Emma's trembling lips turned up into a smile that stole the very breath from Regina's lungs even as the princess's tears still bled endless trails over her chin. "Thank you," Emma whispered reverently, staring at Regina as if the fallen queen had only just performed the most stunning of magical marvels, and perhaps in that moment, for one as sorrowed as the princess, she had. "You are my greatest comfort and my purest joy."

The fallen queen reached forth a hand and wiped away the tracks marring her beloved's cheeks before she pressed a tender kiss to the princess's lips. "And you are mine," she whispered in return.

* * *

The population of the White Kingdom, nearly in its entirety, presented the following day on the day of King James' Royal Burial Ceremony. Those monarchs of bordering kingdoms who were able to make the trip in a day's time were present as well, and each attendee, regardless of status, wore their grief upon them. Each made their way down the candlelit path toward the massive Ceremony Hall of the White castle to pay their respects to a man who ruled as a truly great king.

The Royal Guard, on order, understandably searched the belongings of each person for weaponry of any sort, and those carrying such items were given the option to place their items in the care of the Guard until such time as they took their leave, and if they were disagreeable to such an arrangement, then they were respectfully denied entry. In addition to such security, Regina and Emma combined their magic to surround the entirety of the White castle with a massive magical shield, on the fallen queen's suggestion. It operated as a screening device of sorts, scanning each individual prior to entry. The shield was able to detect whether a person was carrying potions or enchanted objects of any sort, and were they, such objects were immediately confiscated. Wisely, the shield was also able to read each person's intent. It could accurately detect if a person intended to cause harm or harbored hatred upon entry, and any scanned with such intent would be removed and held for questioning.

Fortunately, no such person was found, which perplexed Regina as she had been sure whoever issued the attack on King James would have attempted to attend the ceremony, albeit in disguise. She kept on her guard though despite no evidence of possible danger, as Regina was no fool. She, herself, had tricked magic with magic before. She had bypassed many a barrier during her reign as queen and had fooled many into believing she was not as she seemed, not who she actually was, or harbored no ill intent when she most certainly had. She would be not surprised if a devil walked among them.

When the ceremony began, a vast number of the Royal Guard surrounded the weeping form of the White Queen, shielding her as she made her way to the catafalque where the perfectly preserved body of her husband laid, hands crossed atop the hilt of his sword as it rested softly against his body. Another large detail of the Guard flanked both Emma and Regina as they followed in procession behind Snow.

As the White princess and the fallen queen came into view of the large crowd, whispers erupted among the throng. Neither needed to hear the exact words to know of what the people spoke—the endless gossip over the shocking "scandal" that was the White princess's marriage to the Dark Queen and how that marriage supposedly forced the monarchs to absolve Regina of her crimes against the kingdom and restore her to a royal status. Though little of what was said was actually true, the gossip never ceased. Even after two years, the people still spoke of it in such a way that one would assume the words left a truly awful taste in their mouths.

Neither Emma nor Regina paid any mind to the gossip but the fallen queen refused to allow such disrespect of Snow in a time such as this, not to mention the disrespect of the slain king. She quickly flicked her wrist as they passed the front of the crowd and an immediate hush fell over the people, plunging the Hall into silence once more. She received an approving wink and nod from Red who was standing in the front row of the crowd beside Blue and the former lover of the Dark One, Belle.

They had seen more of Belle in the past two years, but the beautiful young brunette maintained her distance for the most part. She had a somber air about her as she opted to spend her days within the confines of the White castle's library, and though she would occasionally travel with Snow to visit Regina and Emma, she mostly chose to be on her own. Regina had hope, though, that the beauty would one day soon be able to smile and enjoy her life again. She also had hope that when that day came, she and her beloved wife, too, would be able to let go of some of their own pain and guilt surrounding the death of Belle's True Love, and all would be able to truly move forward.

Emma and Regina respectfully stood silent at Snow's side as she stepped up to the catafalque and reached her hands out. Her fair fingers slipped along the soft material of James' royal dress cloak. She then ran the tips of her fingers through his golden-brown hair before touching them lightly to his motionless lips. She whispered softly to him, words that neither Regina nor Emma made any attempt to hear as they knew those words were meant for James alone. And when she finally released him, tears streaming down her fair cheeks, Snow turned and collapsed into her daughter's arms.

It was a surprising, yet heartbreaking action to witness, as royals were, in all circumstances, expected to be poised and composed, even in their grief. Snow White, however, was destroyed by her pain. She could hardly function as every cell in her body screamed with the ferocity of her loss. She had eaten little since James' death, and then only that which was forced into her by Emma, Regina, or Red. She had slept only when slumber was provided by magic, and she had spoken to no one since that day. It seemed she was trapped within her agony and unwilling to let go of it, or perhaps simply unable to.

The White princess held her birthmother tenderly, wrapping her arms around Snow's quivering body and holding tightly. She minded her mother's crown as she stroked gentle fingers through raven locks and quietly whispered reassurances of peace and comfort in the reigning queen's ear. Once she felt Snow's body begin to calm, she carefully passed the grieving woman over to Regina before stepping up to the catafalque herself.

Emma's grief was heavy in its magnitude and weighed on every inch of her. She placed a hand atop her father's hands which rested still upon his sword. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks as the princess leaned forward, ever closer to James' peaceful face, and raggedly whispered, "Father, despite our grievances, please…know that I loved you, and that I forgive you."

Much of the weight that had been crushing the blonde's heart for years lifted in that moment and allowed her the respite of a truly calming and refreshing breath. She let out a soft, staggered sigh as she pressed her lips tenderly to her father's temple before turning to join her birthmother and her wife as they moved to be seated just to the side of the catafalque and opposite the visiting monarchs in attendance.

Once seated, Emma glanced to the crowd where she knew her mother, Red, to be and instantly locked gazes with the wolf. Simply seeing the tall brunette always set the princess at ease, and when Red silently mouthed the words 'I love you' to her, Emma's heart finally regained its easy rhythm and she felt at peace. Emma nodded to her mother, her emerald eyes full of love and affection, before turning to face the catafalque as the ceremonial proceedings began.

Emma was hardly present for much of the ceremony, as she lived inside her head throughout much of it. Her memories called to her, dragging her away from the sorrow and the weight of the present and allowing her to hide away in the joyful moments of her past. She lived in the images of the blissful romance she shared with her wife, in the affectionate embraces of her wolf mother, in the hilarity of her banter with each of the women in her life, in her reconnection with Snow, and in her gentle and often philosophical conversations with Blue. It was a distraction that fed her ability to remain composed, and she readily and greedily indulged in it.

She barely took note of the few short speeches made of her father's goodness, of his righteous reign as king, and of his pure heart. Lit candlewicks flickered all around her, and yet she was merely adrift in their glow, unaware of their heat. It was not until her wife's soft hand slipped into hers that Emma was shaken from her reverie. The White princess turned to lock gazes with her wife even as Regina spoke in her mind.

_ Where are you_, _my love?_ Regina whispered softly, her silky voice echoing through the princess's head like a soothing lullaby.

_Hiding, _Emma answered her honestly, _in my memories, as you showed me._

They shared a sorrowed look before the fallen queen smiled sadly at the blonde and nodded her head. _Very well, darling. I am here should you have need of me._

_ I always have need of you, _the princess whispered lovingly before pulling Regina's hand to her mouth and pressing her lips to the soft back of the fallen queen's hand.

* * *

Once the formal aspects of the ceremony were finished and the crowd of attendants had been granted their own opportunities to approach and kneel before the catafalque before approaching the royal party to offer their respects, the throng of people had grown silent once more. All were awaiting word from the White Queen as was custom in a Royal Burial Ceremony. When a royal passed on, the reigning king or queen, prince or princess was expected to finalize the ceremony by way of a speech that would both honor the dead and dismiss the crowd from the proceedings.

Both Regina and Emma glanced to Snow, who seemed frozen in her seat. Tears marred her cheeks even as she stared blankly ahead, her eyes fixated upon the catafalque. It was almost as if the reigning queen were hollow, her body no longer inhabited by her soul, as if her soul had left her to be with her departed husband, even though both knew it still remained very much within her body. It was written in the tone of her grief, a grief no soulless being could ever feel. It broke both of their hearts to see her so destroyed.

Several long minutes passed before Emma shakily made to stand, convinced that her mother was simply unable to do what must be done, unable to stand before this crowd and speak of the loss that gnawed viciously at her insides every waking moment. However, just as Emma was rising from her seat, a hand clamped atop her wrist. The princess's head snapped to the side to see Snow rising quickly to her feet, and hope blossomed beautifully in Emma's heart, only to be obliterated moments later.

Snow stepped forward and cupped Emma's fair cheeks in her hands before pulling the princess's face toward her and pressing her lips tenderly to Emma's forehead. "I am sorry, my child," the raven-haired woman whispered, eliciting a look of concern and bewilderment from both Emma and Regina, "for what I must do."

Before either the White princess or the fallen queen could inquire about the odd statement, Snow was striding away, headed for the catafalque. She stood just in front of it, and in that moment, she looked not as a queen, but as nothing more than a broken woman. It was in her posture, in the way her head bowed slightly with every breath, and with the way her voice trembled when she began to speak.

"I…I was raised in this kingdom," Snow shakily began, her gaze darting around the room, "thus many here have known me since I was but a child princess or have simply watched me grow from afar. I always…d-dreamed that I would grow to be a great queen." She paused then, and Emma cast a worried glance in Regina's direction as both had detected the slight stutter in Snow's speech.

"Throughout the years, many of you have t-truly touched my heart or have h-helped me to grow as a person and as a ruler. I have loved this k-kingdom my entire life," she croaked as tears began to spill from her eyes once more and she was quickly reduced to great gasping breaths between words as she continued. "I have loved you all, and J…Ja…James loved this kingdom and all of you as w-well."

There was hardly a dry eye in the Hall as the reigning queen sobbed through her words, barely able to voice the name of her fallen husband. Nearly every person in attendance wept with her and for her, hearts aching for the loss of one of their greatest monarchs and for the grief of the other. When Snow spoke again, though, the words that echoed from her lips stilled every heart in the room.

"B-but my heart is so broken, and I c-can feel naught but pain," she sobbed as she lifted a hand to clutch tightly at her chest. "Thus, I c-cannot love you or lead you well if I know n-naught but despair."

Emma's eyes snapped to Regina as fear filtered through every vein in her body and lit her cells on fire. _Regina, what is happening? _Emma asked in a panicked whisper, the words echoing through the fallen queen's mind.

_I know not, darling, but I fear the worst, _Regina answered, and then the worst did indeed come to pass.

Snow took one long, heavy, steadying breath and when she spoke a final time, her voice, though ragged, was clear and resolute. "I hereby abdicate my crown. I relinquish my title as reigning queen of the White Kingdom, and renounce my right to the royal throne. Please, forgive me."

A massive, resounding gasp echoed throughout the room as the White Queen's words ripped through the air like an arrow to a heart, and then she was gone. Snow turned and ran, her exit from the Ceremony Hall swift and wordless, leaving everyone thoroughly stunned in her wake. None more so, though, than the trembling golden-haired princess whose entire world, in that moment, came crashing down upon her like a roaring tidal wave from a raging sea.


	7. Chapter 7: Riots and Rebels

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, friends. I am in the process of moving so I have been distracted. I will try to update again as soon as possible, though. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Try it out with my chosen soundtrack of "Illusions" by Thomas Bergersen. Enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Seven: Riots and Rebels

Emma's vision blurred and her flesh prickled ominously as she fought to stay conscious. She felt as if the massive walls of the Ceremony Hall were closing rapidly in on her. Her breathing grew shallow as her heart began to pound madly in her chest. She could begin not to even fathom what had only just occurred. Had her mother truly abandoned her throne only moments ago, leaving Emma herself to take on the responsibility of ruling the kingdom as queen long before her time?

She could hardly breathe, even as her beloved wife wrapped a gentle hand around her wrist to hold her steady. _Calm your heart, darling, _she heard Regina whisper softly in her mind. _Panic not._

_I am sorry, Regina, _Emma whispered in return. _I must…I must go. _Tears ripped down Emma's cheeks as dizziness sprang upon her. She clutched onto Regina's hand as a quiet sob wrenched from her throat and every fear she had in that moment assaulted her heart in a way that even Regina felt the pain of it through their bond.

_No, Emma, stay. Your presence may serve in keeping them calm even if you wish not to engage with them. _Regina told her knowingly. _I shall clear the Hall, but please, love, be calm and patient. Everything will be well, Emma. Trust me._

The princess said nothing as she pulled from the witch's grasp and turned her back to face away from the crowd, her heart pounding so wildly in her chest that she feared it would simply rip through its confines at any moment and leave her empty and dead in the wake of such shock and tragedy.

As soon as Emma turned her back, Regina waved a hand and cast a spell of silence upon the princess, a spell that would mute the surrounding sounds of the crowd so that her truly terrified and traumatized wife would be unable to hear all that might be voiced against her or against Regina, which the witch knew was highly likely. She wanted not for Emma to have to endure any further trials of the heart in that moment, and if she could save her from as much then she would surely do so.

* * *

The large crowd in the Ceremony Hall erupted at the Queen's departure, voices of the kingdom's citizens crying out their shock and confusion. Within seconds, the panic of the crowd had developed into a fully blown riot, as the people began to shout assumptions and accusations of foul play, which caused outrage among others in the crowd who considered such accusations to be treasonous and thus physically and verbally attacked those voicing them. One brave, or rather foolish, man thought it wise to shout an accusation against Regina, and that was all it took for the crowd to grow so out of control that it required nearly the entire elite of the Royal Guard to hold the men and woman back and away from the fallen queen.

"Tis the work of the Evil Queen!" he exclaimed loudly, and his claim was instantly greeted with several cheers of agreement throughout the crowd. "She moves to reclaim the kingdom!"

"She is evil!" another person called. "She shall destroy us all!"

"The Evil Queen has bewitched the princess and forced her into marriage!"

"She has cursed our good queen in order to regain her power!"

"She must be stopped!"

"Witch!"

"Burn the witch!"

"Lock her up!"

"No good shall come of the Dark Queen in power!"

"She is no princess of _my _good kingdom! I care not what is decreed otherwise. Tis trickery! Tis dark magic!"

"Hang her!"

"She murdered my family!"

"She torched my old village!"

"She moved to murder Queen Snow countless times. She shan't be trusted!"

Regina glanced toward Emma to ensure that her spell had worked and the princess had heard nothing of the cries against her, and thankfully the blonde's back was still turned and the princess seemed unaffected. The fallen queen breathed a sigh of relief even a she hurriedly pointed to the head of the Royal Guard, who stood at the front of the crowd, pushing citizens back who moved to grow nearer the fallen queen and her princess. He locked gazes with her and nodded as she called to him, barking, "Remove them at once!"

"Draw rank! Clear the Hall!" the soldier cried commandingly, and the entirety of the Guard drew their swords and circled around the edges of the crowd, pushing them toward the doors and ordering for them to exit the Hall or suffer incarceration.

There was a loud cry of surprise followed by an encouraging wave of cheers as one citizen managed to duck beneath the arm of one of the guards. He acted so quickly that hardly anyone present had time to react before he was able to swiftly kick the feet from beneath the guard, causing the soldier to lose his balance and fall. The man wrenched the sword from the guard's hands, and with wild, angry eyes, he sprinted for the dais.

Red threw Blue and Belle to the ground to protect them as she jetted toward the man with preternatural speed. She crashed into his body just as he screamed "IN THE NAME OF THE KING!" and threw the sword as hard as he was able, aiming its sharpened point straight for the heart of the fallen queen. There was a collective gasp throughout the Hall as every person halted, breaths held, and waited to see what would happen.

Regina, however, only lifted an eyebrow and pursed her lips as she waved a hand swiftly through the air. A shimmering purple wall erupted from her palm to act as a massive force field before her. Seconds later, the spiraling rebel sword crashed into the force field and instantly disintegrated. A second collective gasp echoed throughout the Hall, and still nobody moved. Each and every person waited with bated breath to see how the Dark Queen would respond to the rebel citizen's attempt at murder. None doubted that she would surely have the man's head or heart as she had been well-known for showing no mercy for such actions during her reign. Then again, few monarchs would show mercy in the face of such treason.

The fallen queen locked her dark eyes upon the man who now struggled against Red's iron grip. He looked at her with wide eyes, terrified in the aftermath of his failed attempt that he was but mere seconds from losing his life. He swallowed thickly as Regina lowered her shield and stepped down from the dais. When she was within a mere few feet of him, she spoke loudly and with authority. "An act of violence or attempted murder upon a royal is treason, and treason in this kingdom is punishable by death," she called. "This was a fool's attempt at bravery, and while I care little for your hatred and distrust of me, I _do _care, as should _you_, as should _all _of you, for the life and safety of the princess. She is the sole and rightful heir to the White throne, and is now to become your ruling sovereign, and _you_ ungratefully forced her into the way of harm. You knowingly threatened her very life."

"No!" he exclaimed. "I sought not to—"

"SILENCE!" Regina shouted, cutting him off as her command echoed ominously throughout the Hall. "I gave not the permission to speak, peasant."

Regina then surprised everyone in the Hall by stepping to the center of the room and lifting her hands to command attention, though it certainly was needed not, for not a single eye had strayed from her since the sword had been released from the foolish rebel's hands. "Listen one and all," she called, "for what I speak to you now shall be spoken not but once."

Red looked to Blue curiously, but the erstwhile fairy could only shrug her shoulders as if to say she, too, had not a clue what their beloved friend had in store. They each waited with the others on bated breath to hear the fallen queen's words, which many assumed would be to sentence the rebel to death and threaten the crowd of consequences to any and all who might seek to harm her in the future. What she actually spoke, however, served as a shock to all in attendance.

"Many of you dare not trust me," Regina told the crowd. "Many of you are unable to see beyond my past misdeeds, cruelties, and crimes. Many of you perceive me as naught more than the Dark or Evil Queen, and in this, you are justified."

Several gasps sounded throughout the crowd at those words, gasps that only grew as the witch continued her speech. "I _have _committed many crimes, many violent and terrible atrocities. I have brought upon many of you a great deal of suffering, and for such suffering, I sincerely and personally apologize."

Red's eyes widened before softening as an affectionate smile graced her lips, one that was instantly echoed by Blue as pride swelled in their chests for Regina's growth over the years. She had truly come such a long way from the havoc-wreaking, terror-inducing, vengeful queen she once had been. She was truly regretful of her actions all those years ago, and her apologies came sincerely from the heart.

The crowd was silent and breathless as each was stunned by Regina's apology. None had ever before heard the witch apologize for the crimes she had committed, for the evils she had enacted, and none could believe their ears as she did so now. It was naught that any of them had ever expected to happen.

"You all may disagree as I am sure you are inclined to do," Regina spoke, "however, I _have _paid deeply for my crimes, and my apologies and regrets now are full and sincere. More than twenty years have passed since my reign, and I am no longer the evil queen you all once feared. I seek only to protect and guide you alongside my beloved wife, your princess. I have bewitched not your princess nor did I have any role in the death of your king or the choice of your queen. I seek the same answers as each of you, and I shall continue to make strides in uncovering those answers. I wish none of you harm, and I shall certainly move not to inflict harm upon you so long as you make no such further threats toward the life of your sovereign or upon any of my family. I sincerely hope each of you will allow me the opportunity to redeem myself in your eyes and serve alongside Emma as the righteous and fair leader I once failed to be."

Sounds of shock and disbelief filtered quietly throughout the crowd, while others chimed in loudly to voice again their distrust of the fallen queen. As the voices grew in volume, each shouting its own opinion, Regina moved over to the rebel citizen still held tightly in place by Red's firm grip. He looked at her as if she had grown two extra heads, unable to believe the woman had only just apologized for the heinous crimes she had once committed.

"As for you," Regina said as she moved ever nearer the man, "I am conflicted. Were I the woman I once was, I would have your head or your heart for your idiocy this day. However, I am _that _woman no longer, and while you certainly acted as a fool in your impulsive errand to take my life, I must say that I quite admire your bravery in even attempting to do so."

This statement shocked not only the crowd, but Red, Blue, and Belle as well. They stared at Regina as if surely she was a dream and they would wake to reality any moment. However, the fallen queen remained and her words rang true. She was truly a changed woman, as none expected her to allow a man who endangered the life of her beloved princess, to live, let alone actually compliment the man.

"Is this some sort of trickery?" the man asked quietly, his voice trembling and his eyes wide.

"I assure you, it is not," Regina told him, and a small smile graced her lips as she then said, "and I must commend your aim as well. Had I not conjured a shield, your toss would surely have stricken true."

"Th-Thank you?" the man said, the statement sounding more as a question as his features practically screamed his confusion. Regina found it all rather amusing. Truthfully, she desperately wanted to have the man's head for endangering her beloved Soul Mate's life, but she knew such a move would only further the fear and revolt of the citizens. She needed to make a move that would not only surprise each of them, but that would also make a tremendous stride in proving to the people of the White Kingdom that she was, in fact, a changed woman and no longer the Evil Queen. She would need to be trusted in the coming months as the assassination of the king could very well lead to war. It was a play of politics, and Regina was quite good at the game even after a great number of years.

"You are quite welcome," Regina told him, and each person in the crowd could only stare, slack-jawed, at the woman as she praised the man despite his attempt at her life. Surely this was not the Evil Queen they were watching. _That _Regina would have called for blood.

"We are in the midst of troubling times," she continued, her gaze fierce as it pierced into the man's, "_dark _times. An attack on our royal family may lead to much hardship and even war, and we must all be ready. We must all be united, despite our differences and even our hatred. We shall need the strongest and most skilled of us to remain at the ready should the need arise to strike an enemy or defend our kingdom. Therefore, given your display of bravery, though misguided, and your superb aim, I would move now to offer you a place among the royal army should you be inclined to accept."

Another resounding gasp was heard throughout the Hall as everyone fell silent again. The rebel man could only gape at the fallen queen, unsure of whether or not he was being made a fool by the witch. He narrowed his eyes at her as he asked, "Is this offer truly sincere?"

Regina reached a hand forward, palm up and open, and offered it to the man. "It is," she told him as she waited to see if the man would be brave enough to take her hand and offer her the second chance she truly hoped she deserved. After several long moments, the man pulled his arm free from Red's loosened grasp and cautiously reached forward. He clasped his hand around Regina's and they shook solemnly, locking gazes as they did so, and the man could actually see the sincerity in the fallen queen's eyes.

She smiled at him, which shocked all in attendance as they had rarely seen the woman smile during her reign, and he repaid her by dropping to a knee before her. With his hand still clasped in hers, he said, "I offer my allegiance."

Regina's heart swelled to the point of bursting as gasps echoed around the room and several people even shouted their agreement and allegiances after having witnessed such an honest and moving display. Tears sprang into Regina's eyes as she looked down at the man, tears that were shared by Red as the wolf watched this display of trust that she knew meant more to Regina than words would ever allow the witch to say.

"I thank you," Regina whispered to the man, who then rose and returned to the crowd.

As the Royal Guard began to usher the crowd from the Hall, much more amicably now, Regina turned to Red just as the wolf stepped to her side and asked, "What shall we do now, Regina? Emma is ready not to rule the kingdom. I have not the faintest clue as to what Snow was thinking in thrusting such responsibility upon her. I am terribly worried."

Belle and Blue had only just reached the two of them as Regina's voice grew low and dark as she spoke quietly, watching the crowd go. "As well you should be," she whispered, turning to glance toward her wife who still faced away from them, her body shaking with her tears and anxiety, "for we are all in grave danger."


	8. Chapter 8: Grave Danger

**A/N: Sorry again for the longer wait on this chapter. I am updating as often as possible right now, and I promise to do my best to never make you wait more than five days for an update after this chapter, and hopefully the pace will pick up again soon once everything in my life settles down again.**

**This chapter is very dialogue heavy, which is generally not my style, but the dialogue that takes place in this chapter is very important and truly accentuates the drama and the severity and the terror of the circumstances surrounding the women. I hope you will all enjoy this chapter, and after the next chapter (chapter 9), the action of the story will begin to pick up quite quickly.**

**I wrote this chapter to the soundtrack of "And The Heavens Shall Tremble" by Audiomachine. Give it a shot! Enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Eight: Grave Danger

"Grave danger?" Blue reiterated, worry adorning her features as she fought to keep her voice low so as to avoid alerting the anxious princess, yet her rising panic was proving the task rather difficult.

"Indeed," Regina whispered, her gaze fixated on Emma's back as she quietly voiced her fears to her closest friends. "The attack on the king was clever, perfectly timed, and maturely calculated. However, I believe it safe to assume that whomsoever ordered or issued the attack could have predicted not the queen's subsequent abdication; such abdication, though, may have well served to escalate the timeline of the attacker's plan should a greater plan exist as I believe one does."

"What are you saying?" Red asked the fallen queen, fear evident in her voice as she slipped her right hand into Blue's left and squeezed it tightly to comfort the former fairy.

"I am saying that as of right now, _we_ are terribly vulnerable," Regina told them gravely. "The entire kingdom is vulnerable as we are now very openly, very _publicly _without a monarch. Had the abdication happened in the privacy of Council, or had we known ahead of time, we certainly could have prepared ourselves better for this; Snow, however, abdicated rather publicly and without preamble, and rest assured that news of her abdication _will_ have filtered throughout the entire kingdom by nightfall and well into the bordering kingdoms by dawn. What I am saying, Red, is that by no later than the sun's rise tomorrow, thousands of people and well likely the king's assassin as well, will be aware of our predicament."

"Would that not only aid us?" Belle suddenly joined the conversation. "Would others not choose to help should we be vulnerable to attack?"

"Such a sentiment is sweet, dear," Regina said, a tight yet sad smile adorning her supple lips, "and certainly ideal; however, it is hardly realistic. Power is a dangerous temptation, Belle, and few, if any, deny themselves such a temptation. Those who would have called themselves our allies this day would be first to turn against us on the morrow were they to believe it possible to seize the kingdom. You see, without a monarch beneath the crown and upon the throne, the kingdom and the throne itself are vulnerable to invasion. Few kings would deny themselves the opportunity to reign over multiple kingdoms, and several have the means and the _will_ to accomplish this."

"How?" Blue asked. "How is it that a foreign monarch could usurp the White throne when two persons of the royal bloodline still live as well as yourself, the spouse of one such person?"

"The answer is quite simple, Blue," Regina answered, her features growing solemn as fear crept through her cells at the mere thought of the words she was about to utter. "In order to seize the throne of the White Kingdom, one must simply strike while we are at our most vulnerable and eliminate the line. This would be done, of course, by way of murder—the death of Snow, the death of myself, and the death of…"

"Emma," Red finished breathlessly, tears building in her eyes. She unlaced her fingers from Blue's, and almost immediately the wolf's fists balled up, knuckles crackly audibly and angrily as fury and fear wrestled within the tall brunette.

Hearing the words spoken aloud, Regina could only nod in answer, as a strict tightness built in her chest and a growing lump invaded her throat. Both Blue and Belle gasped, hands coming to cup around their mouths and press gently against their hearts. Each of the four women shared grave looks, all of them conflicted by the growing combinations and complexities of warring emotions within them, from grief to terror, and all beyond and in-between.

"What shall we do?" Blue whispered, but Regina could only shake her head, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. She held her silence, and just when the erstwhile fairy believed she would receive not an answer, it was Red who spoke in Regina's place.

"We have but one choice," Red hissed angrily, gritting her teeth as she forced the words out.

Regina nodded heavily and let out a staggered sigh as she finally spoke the answer each had been waiting to hear and yet none wished to accept. "There must be an immediate Coronation."

Blue looked terribly conflicted as she asked, "You mean…?"

"Yes, Blue," Regina whispered, "Emma shall be crowned the reigning queen at dawn."

"Emma is prepared not for that level of responsibility!" Red snapped furiously, no longer caring to be overheard by her terrified child who stood still only a few yards away. "She wishes not to even _be _queen, Regina. Look upon her now! She is terrified, frozen in shock and fear. How is she to be queen, Regina, when she has lived outside the luxury of royalty for years? She remembers not the way of Royal Court, and the people trust her not! She has no loyal following in these lands any longer, thus how are we to even know the people will not simply turn against her and rebel? How are we to heartlessly thrust her into a position she has been not properly trained for, and in the wake of such a grand loss?"

"Red…" Blue tried, reaching to comfort her love, only to be pushed away as the wolf's anger continued to grow, laced with the worry and fear she harbored for her only child.

"No!" Red hissed as she jerked her arm away from the former fairy. "Emma cannot be queen! It is NOT her time to reign, Regina. If we do this to her now, she shall surely fail. She can lead not a people who wish not to be led by her, a people who not only mistrust her but know her not at all. She will be eaten alive, possibly even slain, just as her father was. How can you even begin to contemplate such a—"

"Because I have no other option to contemplate!" Regina snapped at the wolf, her own voice rising just as Red's had. "As you only just noted, there is but _one_ choice. I would gladly take this burden from her were I able, but I cannot, Red, and as much as this pains me, it IS the only way. Emma must become Queen; otherwise, her death will be not a possibility, but a _certainty_. I can assure you of that. If left without rule, our people will fear for their land and their homes and their livelihoods. They will rebel out of sheer fear alone. They willrise up against us, and when that happens, Red, I promise you, we will beg for death. And even if a rebellion happens not, the monarchs of the bordering lands will see our vulnerability and surely come, battle axes at the ready, and they _will_ have our heads, they will have _her _rightful crown, and they will have our kingdom."

"Schedule the Coronation."

All four women snapped to attention as the trembling voice of the princess suddenly broke through the tension surrounding them. Each of the women simply stared at the blonde, shocked into silence by the firm resolve whirling in emerald eyes despite Emma's quivering voice and heavy breaths. Emma merely stood her ground before them, though, staring resolutely into each of their eyes to be sure that none doubted or refuted her decision.

Regina took a step forward, pride and pain both shining in her chocolate pools as she pressed a gentle kiss to her beloved wife's forehead and nodded silently. "Very well, my love," she whispered, her voice cracking as she ached tremendously for the burden being placed upon Emma's shoulders and upon her heart.

The princess squeezed her wife's hands tightly before releasing her to step well into her adoptive mother's personal space. Red locked gazes with her and Emma could see the multitude of emotions warring within the wolf's soul. Several quiet tears streaked down Emma's cheeks as she held Red's gaze and strongly said, "I know you fear for me, Mother, but I shall do what must be done. If I fail, so be it."

As soon as the words fell from her lips, Emma let out a pained, shaky sigh and turned away from her mother. She spared not a single glance to any in the room as she silently exited the Ceremony Hall, the weight upon her heart as a massive stone threatening the organ's very ability to beat. As the giant doors of the Hall clicked closed behind her, the sound of their sealing echoed loudly throughout the lonely space, a ringing note that kissed each remaining woman with the ominous breath of finality.

* * *

Red quietly slipped into Snow White's royal bedchamber where she knew the grief-stricken woman to be. The now-former queen had only left her chambers once since the assassination of her beloved James, and that one occasion was that of the king's Royal Burial Ceremony earlier that day, the ceremony in which said former queen publicly and impulsively abdicated her right to the White crown. Outside of that single occasion, though, Snow had been unconvinced by any and all in their attempts over nearly three suns and moons to coax the raven-haired woman from her chambers. She simply lay frozen in her bed, fair face turned sallow with her grief buried in her late husband's pillow, and endless tears crying from her distant emerald eyes. It seemed the once vibrant Snow was but a hollow shell of her former self in the wake of her loss.

A part of her knew such an idea to be truly foul, but Red could hardly help herself. Anger was coursing furiously through her veins, an anger only fueled by a deep and soulful fear that the wolf now harbored for her daughter, the princess who was now to become queen far ahead of her time and under circumstances that very well threatened not only her happiness but her life. While Red had spent a great deal of time simply pacing outside Snow's bedchamber, contemplating the situation and toiling over her conflicting emotions, she had been unable to convince herself to blame any other than the very woman she now observed in the dark.

As misguided as it may have been, Red was blinded by her anger, by her love of Emma, and by her fear for not only her child but for them all, herself included, and in her mind, Snow was solely to blame for Emma's predicament. Had she not abdicated her crown, Emma would be not within potential enemies' lines of fire. She would be not about to endure the hardship of ruling a kingdom, not only in general but in a time of crisis, in a time of possible war. She would be not about to risk her life to lead a people who wished not to be led by any other than Snow. She would be not about to accept a crown that she had desired not to have in many, many years.

Furthermore, had the abdication been absolutely necessary, Snow could have, at minimum, provided each of them fair warning. She could have allowed them time to prepare, allowed Emma time to adjust and accept her newfound fate before simply thrusting her onto the throne and burdening her so. She could have done so many things differently, so many things that could have aided Emma, that could have aided them all, and Red was finding it achingly difficult to see beyond her own overwhelming anger and fear in order to excuse such failures.

Red could easily make out the detailed form of Snow White beneath the blankets of the massive bed of the shadowed chamber as she quietly clicked the door closed behind her. She hesitated not in darting quickly across the room to stand in the moonlit arch of the open window, directly in the raven-haired woman's line of sight. She knew Snow to be awake as she could not only hear the shallow rhythm of the woman's breathing, but she was also aware of Snow's inability to slumber over the past two moons without the magical aid of either Regina or Emma.

She locked glowing gazes through the darkness with open, tearful emerald eyes, and her heart urged her to speak her fury. Just as she was about to open her mouth and put her toils to spoken word, however, Snow's raw, ragged voice spilled into the room. "You are angry with me," she croaked knowingly, and Red was thoroughly surprised as this was the first time she had heard the raven-haired woman voluntarily speak since the assassination but for the words she'd spoken during the Royal Burial Ceremony earlier that day.

"I am," Red hissed.

"As well you should be," Snow whispered, sniffling as new tears found their way down her cheeks and she pondered momentarily at what point one simply ran dry, unable to cry a single other tear. What she would have given to reach such a point in that moment, a point in which her very soul no longer lived upon her cheeks in ever-flowing rivers.

"How could you do this, Snow?" Red growled. "How could you do this to Emma?"

"I have no answers for you," Snow told her quietly, her voice fraught with pain. "I ache for the hardship Emma must endure on my behalf, but that is precisely the point, Red. I _ache_. I ache every second. I know not how to endure this life without James. I feel as if I have been torn in two, and every breath feels as fire in my lungs. I can bring myself to care for nothing beyond this ache."

"Your pain is beyond measure and understandably so," Red agreed, moving closer to the bed as she spoke her heart to one of her closest friends. "None, especially not I, would deny such truth, but Snow, you _desired _to rule this kingdom. You _fought _to take it back, and you made a vow to your people to lead them, to guide them through any and all trials that may arise. You took not the crown under the condition of bowing out when life grew weary or when tragedy struck. You accepted the responsibilities of becoming the reigning queen and you are allowed not to simply abandon those responsibilities because you are in mourning. Monarchs endure terrible hardship just as we all do, yet the circumstances change not. You are _the queen_, and as such, you must push aside your own pain. You must bear it in silence so that you may remain strong for your people, or at least, that is what you should have done, Snow. Now, you can do not even that. You have abandoned your crown and your kingdom, and the laws clearly state that once abdicated, the crown can be not reclaimed unless you are the only living member of the royal bloodline. What you have done, Snow...it was a terrible mistake, and it is Emma who shall pay the price."

"Please, Red," Snow cried as she reached out a hand for her saddened and furious friend. Red shook her head gravely even as she lowered to her knees in front of the raven-haired woman's bed and slipped her hands into Snow's. She sighed heavily as they stared into each other's eyes, both tearful, and she pondered how they were ever to move on from this, to regain the peace of the lives they each had been living prior to the tragedy of the king's untimely demise. She truly feared such peace may never again exist.

"My love for you is profound, Snow," Red whispered through her tears as she squeezed Snow's hands, her anger beginning to subside, "and it is because of that love that I understand not how you could be moved to act so foolishly. You must have known that I, that all of us, would have helped you through this. You must have known all hope was lost not, that this terrible grief could and can be survived, as I am living proof of this, and as Belle is living proof of this as well. Instead, you have done what cannot be undone, and as such, you have endangered not only your own life but Emma and Regina's lives as well. You have done them both a terrible disservice.

"It is not that I wish to burden Emma or to force my responsibilities upon her, but I can be no longer the queen my people need me to be, the queen my people deserve," Snow whispered through great gasping breaths and tears as she clutched fiercely to Red's hands. "Emma, while young and reasonably frightened, _can_. I _believe_ she can. She is strong, Red, and the love she shares with Regina is powerful beyond measure. If anyone can be a righteous and truly magnificent queen, it is our daughter, is it not?"

Red simply stared into Snow's emerald eyes as she contemplated the woman's words, and surprisingly, she found she rather agreed despite the fear and the remnants of anger still wrestling within her. Snow had been greatly weakened by her loss, whereas Regina and Emma's True Love combined with their power as Soul Mates was boundless and stronger than any other connection known to have ever existed. Their connection provided them magnificent power, which spoke volumes considering the grand power each possessed on their own. It provided them strength and comfort, and not only that, but protection as well. Were they to be separated, things could become quite dangerous, but as long as Emma and Regina remained together, they stood a truly fair chance of maintaining their safety.

"And she will rule not alone, Red," Snow croaked after receiving only silence. "Both she and Regina will rule as the reigning queens of the kingdom, though reasonably the people will be more inclined to accept Emma's rule over Regina's given the history."

"I am inclined to agree on those points, Snow," Red told her quietly, "but this excuses not what you have done. While I can understand your turmoil and even come to forgive you for the burden you have placed upon our child, it is Emma that I fear may find it difficult to forgive. This is not the first time she has suffered due to the selfishness of your actions."

Fresh tears spilled from Snow's emerald eyes at those words, though she could be not angry with Red for voicing them. They had always had a very open and honest friendship, and she knew that if anyone were to place a mirror before her to expose her own failures, it would be Red, just as Snow, herself, would do for the wolf. It was an aspect of their friendship that both women had always cherished, despite how trying it could truly be at times.

"Red, that is enough."

Red's head snapped toward the door of the bedchamber where, due to her heightened wolf senses, she could easily discern the shape and detail of her daughter-in-law, Regina. The fallen queen's features were solemn and etched with the weight of the day's events, and the tone of her voice simultaneously flooded Red with guilt while aching deeply in her chest. The wolf let out a heavy sigh before pressing her lips to Snow's fair fingers and darting from the room.

Once the door clicked closed behind Red, Regina made her way around the massive royal bed and placed herself in the position that Red had only just occupied. "You are angry with me as well," Snow whispered tearfully as soon as the fallen queen knelt before her.

Regina smiled sadly at her before lacing her fingers through Snow's and slowly shaking her head. "My heart aches terribly for Emma and for the emotions warring within her now," the witch whispered, "but my heart does ache for you as well, Snow, and I cannot be angry. Having lived the life I have, I know well the hardship of loss, and I have let it drive me to do far worse things than abandoning a crown. While I approve not of how you chose to abdicate your title, I can only commend you for honorably stepping away from the power that, were it me, and Emma had been the one assassinated, I fear I may have only used said power to inflict my pain upon others or to have my revenge. I long to say that I am no longer a person who would do such terrible things, yet to lose Emma would be to truly lose myself, and so I can only imagine the depth of your sorrow in losing James."

Snow sighed heavily through her tears as she pulled Regina toward her and into a strong embrace. The fallen queen let several of her own tears slip away as she closed her eyes against the soft touch of raven locks, her heart aching further as Snow whispered to her in the darkness. "I am so terribly sorry, Regina."

Regina squeezed her tightly and whispered in return, "Fear not, Snow, for I shall do all in my power to see Emma through this. She will fail not, and I…I will rule alongside her as I should have ruled before, as _you _ruled, with kindness rather than cruelty." The fallen queen then let out a heavy breath and attempted to lose herself in the comfort of a shared embrace, desperate to clear away the thoughts of the many hardships to come, as she knew that at that very moment, word was spreading rapidly across the kingdom that the princess was to be crowned at dawn. She could only hope such a move would prevent an act of war, though the sick feeling devouring her insides promised otherwise.


	9. Chapter 9: To Be Simple

**A/N: Hello everyone. This has been my favorite chapter to write thus far, and I really hope you will all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Try it with my chosen soundtrack of "The Truth" by Audiomachine. The effect is absolutely breathtaking. Enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Nine: To Be Simple

Regina woke in a panic several hours before dawn as a coldness crept into her body and her hand extended outward to pull her wife closer only to be met with empty and frigid sheets. Chocolate eyes snapped open as the fallen queen bolted upright in the large bed of one of the White palace's many royal guest chambers. Fear crept into Regina's heart as her mind began a rapid race of morbid possibilities, her eyes darting around the chamber only to find her beloved Soul Mate entirely absent. Her gaze then shot to the large glass doors of the balcony where she was able to focus on the position of the moon and see that much time had yet to pass before dawn and the coronation that was to take place upon the sun's rising. Such a fact only intensified the witch's anxiety.

She quickly threw aside the heavy blankets of the bed and dropped her bare feet to the stone floor, hissing a bit as the cold rapidly seeped into her sensitive flesh. Regina snapped her fingers and watched as her silken night gown was instantly replaced by a fashion typical of the lifestyle she and her wife had adopted together in their two years of marriage—leather pants, leather boots, and a soft, flowing tunic. She magically braided her hair and allowed it to fall down her back, bouncing a bit as she then quickly darted from the guest chamber and into the corridor.

Fear was a snarling, raging beast within the fallen queen as she called out to her wife in her mind. _Emma? _

Every second that passed in silence after that single timid call pushed Regina toward the precipice of complete and utter panic. The entire kingdom was amidst a time of epic crisis, and given the dangerous circumstances and the deadly moves having already been made against the royal family, Regina knew that Emma had never been in graver danger than the blonde was now in. While the throne remained unclaimed, the princess's very life would be considered a worthy price to pay for a crown and a kingdom, and power was merely one of many possible motives. Regina had yet to even begin to unravel the motives underlying the assassination of the king, but she remained on the side of caution, choosing not to ignore the possibility that said motive may very well extend to the princess.

She knew her beloved lived and was lacking not in strength or energy as she could feel Emma's heartbeat and sense her vitality through their bond, but the silence between them devoured such facts in Regina's panic-riddled mind and refused to allow her to see reason. However, only moments later, the silence was finally broken as the soft, timid voice of the princess whispered in Regina's mind, saying, _Your pulse is as a drum, my love. _

The fallen queen released a heavy sigh as the sudden sound of her wife's voice stopped her in her tracks. She clutched at her chest as relief flooded rapidly through her system and allowed her to finally breathe freely again. _Of course it is, _Regina exclaimed sarcastically. _I woke mid-moon to find my wife absent from our bed at a time when wanderings at night are hardly safe. _

Regina heard her wife's soft laughter whisper through her head and it made her heart flutter wildly in her chest as she smiled to herself and asked, _Why did you not answer me when I first called to you?_

_ Perhaps I wished not to be found quite so quickly, _Emma answered, her voice somber once again.

The witch frowned upon hearing those words and easily sensed her wife's discomfort. She chose, though, to try for a bit of humor, hoping it would ease some of Emma's ache and bring the princess back to her. _If you wished not to be found, darling, then you should have been born within another family. To find and be found is surely woven into your very cells._

There was a long moment of silence in which Regina only felt her wife's heartache grow through their bond rather than lessen with the lightness of the joke. It made her ache in nearly every inch as she longed only to comfort her princess yet feared she would be unable to do so. _Perhaps you are right, Regina, _Emma whispered, her voice cracking even inside the witch's mind. _I should have been born within another family. _

Tears built in Regina's eyes upon hearing the pure ache in her Soul Mate's voice, and she knew that Emma was referring to the burden of being born into royalty, a fact that had been weighing heavily upon the princess since Snow White's entirely unexpected and public abdication of her crown. _Oh Emma_, she sighed, shaking her head softly as she closed her eyes and tried to sense her wife's location. When she found that she was unable to do so, she frowned and asked, _Where have you run off to, my love? I am near the library. Are you close?_

A long pause followed the witch's question before Regina heard the princess sigh and say, _You will be angry with me. _Panic began to build once more within the witch's chest as she kept her silence and simply waited for her wife to continue. As soon as Emma murmured her location, fury built rapidly within the fallen queen before exploding and extending throughout her entire body. She instantly twirled where she stood, disappearing in a swirling cloud of purple smoke.

"Emma, have you lost your gods-damned mind?!" Regina exclaimed furiously as she magically appeared amidst the tall, swaying grasses of the very meadow where King James' was tragically slain. "I specifically asked you to wander not from the castle, not until after the coronation. It is far too dangerous. You could very well be being hunted at this very moment. Your life is in danger until the crown is upon your head. How could you take such a risk?"

"Regina, please," Emma sighed, "I am well protected. You fear for me, and I know this fear is spawned from the beauty of your love, but please, darling, reduce me not to a helpless damsel. I am as powerful a witch as you, and I would risk not my life for I would never wish upon you the pain of such a loss."

The fallen queen softened then, her hardened obsidian eyes lightening to a milky chocolate as she breathed another sigh of relief. Her anger slipped away as if the very air around them were siphoning it out, and she stepped toward her beloved wife, who stood in the middle of the large meadow in similar attire to Regina's. Her wild golden locks flowed beautifully in the night breeze and her emerald eyes were piercing. They locked upon the brunette as Regina slipped her hands around Emma's slim, toned waist and pulled the princess into a tight embrace.

"Forgive me, dear," Regina whispered against golden hair. "I allowed my worry to seize the better of me."

"You need not apologize," Emma told her softly as she embraced the witch with every ounce of love she could muster in that quiet, gentle moment.

"I assume you cast a barrier spell?" Regina asked as they pulled out of their embrace but remained touching, the fallen queen's hands still settled upon the princess's hips. "A rather powerful one it seems, as I was unable to track you."

"Mmm," Emma hummed as she nodded. She then flicked her wrist and conjured a small rock before she sent it speeding away from her. Nearly a hundred feet from them, a bright flash of blue lit up the air as the rock crashed into the barrier and was instantly reduced to dust. Regina nodded her approval as the princess continued, saying, "I sensed you coming, thus I thinned the barrier for only a moment to allow your entry. It is at full strength once again, though. We are quite safe here."

"Very well," Regina sighed, "but please, Emma, if you require time alone, inform me prior to leaving, my love. Such fear feels so heavy on my heart. If anything were to ever happen to you, I know not what I would…how I could…"

The fallen queen stuttered a bit as she choked on not only the words, but on the thoughts supporting those words. The mere idea of losing her love terrified her as nothing ever had, completely and utterly robbing her lungs of much-needed oxygen. She clutched fiercely at her wife's sides as tears sprang into her chocolate eyes and Emma immediately shushed her and pulled her into a warm embrace. "I am with you," the princess whispered into Regina's soft, dark locks. "Think not on such things."

They held each other for what felt like years, though only minutes passed, before Regina pulled slightly back from their embrace and respectfully asked, "Do you wish me to return to the castle and allow you solitude?"

Emma smiled softly at her and said, "No, my love. I simply wished not to wake you before, but I am no fool, Regina. I know well that the many hardships of this life are better weathered with you by my side. Beneath your touch, the ache of loss and hardship feel as needles rather than swords."

The fallen queen smiled sadly as several tears broke the surface and slipped down her cheeks. She reached forth a hand and cupped it around one of her wife's fair cheeks. "You are afraid," she whispered, seeing the fear in her beloved's emerald eyes and the weight of the coming day upon her shoulders.

The princess sighed heavily as she gently shook her head. Several of her own tears carved paths down her cheeks as she quietly cried, "I am not afraid, Regina. I am completely and utterly terrified."

Regina's heart nearly exploded within her chest upon hearing those words. She searched her lover's eyes and saw naught but the very terror Emma spoke of. Such a sight lived within Regina as a wicked disease, gnawing at her insides and devouring her resolve. The blonde's cheeks flushed a deep crimson beneath the moonlight, and it only increased the ache within Regina's chest. She stroked her thumb across Emma's cheek and told her, "Such fear is perfectly natural. You need not be ashamed."

"I have but nineteen years," Emma whispered. "I am ill prepared to lead a people."

"Few monarchs are ever truly prepared to reign when their times come to ascend to their respective thrones," Regina told her honestly, hoping to alleviate some of her wife's fear.

The princess sighed heavily as she leaned into her beloved's touch and locked misty emeralds on tearful chocolate orbs. "And fewer monarchs are thrust upon the throne due to the untimely assassination of their fathers or under threat of war and fear of death," Emma replied. "Few monarchs take to the throne to lead a people who trust them not and wish not to be led by them."

"You certainly make a fair point," Regina agreed, "but Emma, you are strong. You can do this, and I shall be with you every step of the way. You will win the favor of the people once they witness your pure and unwavering heart. They only distrust because they have been not exposed to you in many, many years. You were even believed to be dead by much of the kingdom during your years on the run with Red only to have you return years later and bound in marriage to none other than the Evil Queen. Give it time, and fear not, darling, for they will love you once more, just as they loved you when you were but a child. They desire only a kind, just, and fair leader."

Emma sighed heavily and pulled away from Regina's touch. She shook out her hands and head as if trying to rid herself of her own negativity, yet even as she did so, she cast her gaze away from chocolate orbs and harshly snapped, "I care not what the people desire, Regina!"

The ache that had been throbbing within Regina's chest bloomed fully once more as she heard the subtle tremble in the princess's voice. She blamed Emma not for her disdain and her anger as she too had walked the very path that the blonde was now firmly set upon, and she, too, against her will. It was truly a terribly difficult task to heed the desires and needs of others when your own seemed so ruthlessly silenced.

"_I _desired _not _to be their queen!" Emma bit angrily out, her voice rising as tears spilled endlessly from her emerald eyes, so translucent in that moment. Regina could see the princess's very soul within those eyes, the complexity of her boundless emotional conflict, and what was more was that she could, as always, feel the pain of it as well. The way in which their souls were intricately intertwined allowed her access to her wife's every emotion, whether heartbreaking or hilarious. "And yet I am bound to be! I am obligated to be their queen by the very blood that courses through my veins, a fact over which I was given no choice. My blood defines my very life, Regina."

"I know," Regina whispered softly, her soul aching for her Emma's pain, her trembling fear, and the youthful liberty she would surely be denied once the royal crown was placed upon her head. The fallen queen mostly kept her silence as she allowed her wife's fury and fear to spill into the night. She would deny Emma nothing in that moment and certainly not the right to express her pain, as Regina was denied in her own youth.

"I wish not to be queen. I wish not to own this responsibility or to possess such power. I want not to lead a people, Regina. I want to be free!" Emma exclaimed, her heart pounding madly in her chest as she finally allowed herself open expression. She finally cut open her surface acceptance of her foul circumstances and allowed her emotions to bleed outward, acknowledging all she had tirelessly kept hidden.

Regina felt as if she had simply splintered apart and exploded in her entirety as her wife's words, identical in part to words she herself had cried just prior to taking the throne all those years ago, blasted through her painfully. In her mind, she flashed back to the wretched day she had attempted to flee from her marriage to the king, the day her mother had ruthlessly halted her with magic and promised her power for which she had never hungered. A young innocent Regina had gazed pleadingly into Cora's hardened eyes and cried, "I do not want power, Mother. I want to be free."

Regina's tears in that moment were ruthless as they burned in her eyes and scorched fiery trails down her cheeks, wicked and painful trails of memoriam. And in the wake of such memory, her sorrow for her beloved Soul Mate only greatly increased, biting at her heart with jagged teeth.

The White princess's entire body was buzzing electrically as a torrent of emotions raged and stormed within her. Her magic danced visibly upon her flesh as she sobbed into the crisp, night air and desperately fought the instinct to flee. She felt, in that moment, as if the entire realm were crashing down upon her, her world crumbling and burning around her as she stood helplessly in the rain of ashes, unable to stop the destruction.

"And _you!" _Emma shouted, whirling around to face the fallen queen. She pointed at her wife as she continued to rant. "_You _are now obligated to reclaim the very throne that stripped you of your freedom, that inspired the death of your first love, and you must do so because of _me_, Regina! Can you even begin to know the weight of the guilt that rests upon my heart in knowing you are bound to this title by naught more than the band upon your finger, for naught more than loving me?"

The fallen queen gasped as those words tumbled forth from her lover's lips, the ache within her growing tenfold. She had no idea that the princess had been harboring such guilt, that Emma's thoughts had even traced such a path, and it simultaneously made her heart swell beautifully in her chest at the thought of being so loved and so cared for and so respected, while also layering her soul with sadness. She abhorred the moments when her beloved was in pain. She hated seeing Emma so utterly broken and so absolutely distraught. It tore at her as nothing ever had.

"Oh my darling," Regina whispered as she quickly launched forth her hands and latched onto the princess's arms. She swiftly pulled her wife before her and locked onto a piercing, tearful emerald gaze that dug beneath her every defense. "I would gladly bear any title or no title at all so long as I am with you. You need not harbor any guilt over me, Emma. I am truly content to be beside you, no matter the path we walk. I am forced into nothing where you are concerned, my love. I _chose _to be your wife, fully aware of your heritage and the future that awaited you, and while the circumstances are certainly not ideal, Emma…you must know that I am happily beside you. You must know that I gladly bear any responsibility that comes as a result of being bound to you in marriage. You must know that my happiness, Emma, is not in riches or royalty. It is not in youth or freedom. It is not in land or property or material possessions. It is not in a lack of responsibility or in a hope of never knowing any hardship. My darling wife, my happiness lives solely in _you_."

Emma's gaze was so focused, so intense in that moment that it nearly moved Regina to trembling shivers, and before the fallen queen could utter another word, the princess let out a staggered, shuttering sigh and devoured the final spaces between them. She dug a fair hand into dark locks at the base of Regina's neck and yanked the witch to her, crashing their lips together with such ferocity that the metallic taste of blood spilled upon both women's tongues, though neither cared. A deep and guttural moan escaped the brunette's throat as Emma's tongue slipped into her mouth and the princess's nimble fingers pressed and pulled at the base of her neck and at the line of her hip. She could happily have died inside that single kiss, a kiss that reduced her to sighs and whimpers and a puddled, throbbing mess in mere seconds.

The fire between them ignited so quickly and grew so rapidly that the air thickened to an almost pulpy consistency around them. Emma's hands slid roughly down Regina's sides before moving around to cup at the back of her thighs. The fallen queen yelped in surprise as she suddenly found herself being swiftly lifted into the air, her legs latching around the princess's waist and her already throbbing core colliding deliciously with the tunic-covered abs of her impossibly seductive wife. Almost as quickly as Emma pulled Regina into her arms, she dropped heavily to her knees and eased her beloved onto the ground, her need to connect, to escape, to _feel _anything other than pain, so achingly intense in that moment that she was helpless to stop herself.

The needy princess devoured her wife's mouth hungrily as she crawled between the fallen queen's thighs and began a steady thrusting rhythm with her hips, the leather material of her pants colliding with that of Regina's over and over again. The rhythm and the rubbing made both women as running rivers, their slick currents increasing with every thrust. The want and the need of both women in that moment was so powerful that it sparked on their very flesh, purple bits of light dancing deliciously between their interlocked fingers, their slipping and sliding lips, their brushing noses, and their pounding hearts.

Regina fought to clear the haze in her mind induced by her suddenly frantic and absolutely savage wife as Emma continued to rock perfectly against her, causing near-painful knots of tension to build at the base of her spine and liquid need to soak her sex. It was absolutely maddening how undeniably provocative, arousing, and spontaneous Emma could be at times, maddening in the best ways, though Regina was aware that her honest speech had played a large part in driving her wife to this point. She could feel Emma's heart as it desperately sought relief from the onslaught of fear and sorrow constantly attacking, and she knew that her beloved Soul Mate wished to escape within their passion, to hide inside their desire for one another until neither could hide any longer. Regina could hardly blame her.

Still, she knew the weight of the coming day and how difficult, trying, and exhausting it surely would be for her wife. She fought to force herself to break the wet and heated command of her lover's lips, pulling back just enough to gulp down several needed breaths and husk out, "Emma, we should..." Her words were interrupted by a trembling moan as Emma suddenly snapped her fingers and the thrust that followed brought the newly bare flesh of the princess's sex colliding into her own. "Oh gods," Regina groaned hotly as she helplessly lifted her hips to meet her wife's multiple times before shaking herself back to reality once more.

She grabbed onto Emma's hips and halted her wife's thrusting as she panted and breathily managed to rasp out, "Emma, as incredible as this is, love, you require further rest for the coming day. We should return to the castle."

"No," the princess growled, and though her voice was laden with desire, Regina missed not the ache that lived in the blonde's tone as well. Emma sounded absolutely torn, a perfect storm of sorrow and joy in that moment.

"Emma…" Regina began to protest, but the princess quickly cut her off.

"Please," Emma whimpered brokenly as she pushed her hips gently against Regina's hold. "Please, Regina. I need this. I need you."

The fallen queen's heart was absolutely shredded as sorrowful emerald eyes bore into her and her precious wife pleaded with her, saying, "In only three hours' time, I shall be crowned queen, so for the next three hours, I wish to be nothing more than simple. I wish to be ordinary. I wish to be free. So, please, love, let me be free with you. Let me be simple. Let me be nothing more than a careless girl, a still-hopeful girl in love with your beauty and your heart and your hands. Touch me, Regina. Please…take this pain away. Make me feel nothing but your love."

A blast of energy rocketed outwards from Regina's throbbing chest as her love for Emma in that moment translated into a rolling wave of the purest magic. As it rippled away from them, all it touched gained new life. The grasses became greener beneath the light of the moon and the wild flowers opened beautifully and filtered their aromas into the crisp night air as both the White princess and the fallen queen lay bare upon the ground, tangled in one another, with hearts beating rapidly inside a whirlwind of pain that was slowly dying inside a sudden and overwhelming wealth of love and desire. Regina's breath slammed from her lungs, carrying with it a soft and consenting whimper as she nodded gently, tears spilling from her eyes to match those of her wife, and shot forth a hand to pull Emma's lips to hers once more.

As they collided again, the night's beauty grew endlessly around them, alive with the magic of Regina's boundless love, a love that, at times, seemed to envelop the world.


	10. Chapter 10: The Coronation

**A/N: Hello friends. I had some technically difficulties and was unable to post this chapter for some reason before, but now I can! Also, I am finally finished moving, so hopefully my updates will be even faster. I will do my best. **

**This chapter covers something that many of you have been wondering about from The Princess and the Prisoner—Regina's youth enchantment (it is not a curse, just a spell). So, hopefully you will be satisfied with what happened. **

**I wrote this chapter to the soundtrack of "Hope and Glory" by Audiomachine. Definitely give it a try while you read. Put it on repeat because it's a bit short. And if you could please review and let me know how you are feeling about the story thus far, I would greatly appreciate it. Every thought counts. Enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Ten: The Coronation

The White Princess stood stoically before the grand mirror of the royal fitting room as several of the castle maids swept swiftly around her, pinning and tucking, and jerking her body forward and backward as they laced her corset to the point of suffocation. Her emerald eyes burned as she tried desperately to prevent the tears that were welling just below her eyelids from falling. She felt as if she were standing upon the ledge of a jagged cliff, the depths below so deep and so dark that one could only assume death awaited. That ledge felt as if it defined the rest of her existence, forever caught between the life she desired, the one in which she was free with Regina, and the life she was to be forced into, the one in which she was made to be queen. It was a daunting reality, one that tore at the edges of her heart, desperate to break in and paint her black and cold. She abhorred the feeling, the feeling of hopelessness; the feeling of fear.

"Please, leave me," Emma suddenly choked out to her maids. She knew she could hold her panic in no longer, and desired not to be seen in her moment of weakness. Ever a strong and determined young woman, the princess loathed displaying her vulnerabilities, and typically did so only in the presence of her beloved wife, Regina, or her mother, Red.

The maids questioned not the word of their princess despite the final preparations of her coronation gown being unfinished, and they quickly gathered their things and darted from the room. As soon as the door clicked closed behind the last of the maids, a heart-wrenching, guttural sob bubbled up from Emma's throat as she doubled over, her hand shooting to her chest and her tears breaking furiously free. She stumbled from the pedestal upon which she had been standing, elevated so that the maids could more easily access the billowing skirt of her gown, and stepped up to the grand mirror.

The mirror was massive in size and seemed almost to be mocking her as Emma stepped closer and stared at herself. Her long, golden locks were set in perfect princess curls, cascading down her back, and were sprinkled with tiny bits of fairy dust to make it glitter and shine. Her face had been conservatively painted, the lights touches of makeup to accentuate her natural bone structure and highlight the vivid green of her striking eyes, and her body was wrapped tightly in the glamor of her coronation gown. It was the same coronation gown that Snow had worn when she reclaimed the throne from Regina, and the same gown that Eva had worn when she became Queen as well. The only difference was that it had now been tailored to fit Emma perfectly, literally overnight thanks to an army of seamstresses, and had nearly been finished in its alterations before the princess had dismissed the maids.

She had little time to waste as the coronation was to begin within the hour, yet the princess cared not. Her heart was a throbbing mass in her chest as her eyes bored into her reflection and searched for answers she knew would never come; searched for an escape she knew existed not. Emma lifted a fair hand and pressed the tip of her index finger to the cool reflective glass of the mirror. She then began to trace the contours of her youthful face, a face that would remain exactly as it was for all time, unless her life was to be taken by injury or disease. She thought of her wife in that moment, so caring, so giving, so full of a respect Emma often had to fight for elsewhere. Regina had given her all she could ever have dreamed for—her unwavering support, her limitless love, her eternal kindness, and so much more. She was truly the most enduring, most reverent blessing Emma had ever known.

Regina was ever doing all in her power to please Emma, to make her truly happy. While Emma needed little other than to simply be with Regina in order to be happy, the brunette constantly sought ways to fulfill the princess's dreams. She was particularly adamant about providing Emma with spectacular gifts on the princess's Name Days. Regina rarely went into much detail as to why, but Emma knew. She knew that the fallen queen silently and secretly ached for the many years she had spent in captivity, the years she had been unable to provide a gift for Emma's Name Day or even to be with her on such days. It had always haunted the witch, and thus, she went above and beyond now to make up for those many years she had sadly missed.

On Emma's seventeenth Name Day, Regina had given her a truly beautiful and life-altering gift. She had given the princess the ability to run as a wolf alongside her mother, Red. It was a dream that both Red and Emma had long harbored, a dream they believed would never be possible, and yet Regina, through long hours of experimentation, had managed to make it a reality. That ability, that _gift_, had meant more to the princess than words had ever allowed her to express, especially in that it had never been something she had asked of Regina. Her wife had simply made it so, without request and with nothing but pure love in her heart. It was in moments such as that one that made Emma deeply wonder how it was that anyone was ever unable to see the goodness in Regina, regardless of how well hidden it had been during her reign as queen.

Regina stopped not at that, however, as for Emma's eighteenth Name Day, she gave the princess the gift of eternal youth. This gift, though, was one that the princess had indeed requested. She longed only to spend as many years with Regina as life would allow her, and to do so, she knew she must share in the enchantment that the fallen queen herself bore, an enchantment of eternal youth cast upon her by her own mother just prior to her first marriage to King Leopold. Regina had initially been rather conflicted about casting the enchantment upon the princess, for she knew the burden such a spell could be. While it provided youth and beauty, which in turn offered immortality so long as one avoided illness or fatal injury, it also meant having to witness and endure the deaths of loved ones throughout the years, while you remained the same, ever unchanged, ever enduring. Emma had pleaded with her, though, citing that she would gladly endure the aching sadness of loss in exchange for the unwavering beauty and joy of the love they shared, and eventually Regina had agreed to cast the enchantment. Thus, now, Emma was as Regina…forever frozen at eighteen.

Regina surprised her again on her nineteenth Name Day, which had taken place only a few short months prior to the death of the King. That joyful day of celebration now felt to Emma as if it had occurred centuries prior, the reverberations of its echoing bliss as fading memories in the furthest reaches of her mind. She reached out for them still, desperately trying to clutch onto those little moments of happiness and pull them forward, blasting through the aching sorrow, anger, and fear of this moment, of this day, of this…lifelong sentence she was to be given in a mere matter of minutes. That day had been so wonderful, spent well in the company of her small and beautiful family—her stunning wife, both of her mothers, and her darling friend, Blue. They spent the day in the hills, the infamous rolling hills of the White Kingdom, known throughout the lands for their enduring green and echoing beauty. Regina had conjured a fantastic feast of a picnic, and her family had simply been together, feasting and drinking and conversing as if they had not a care in the world. That day lived in the princess's heart as a breath lives within the lungs—clean, pure, relieving, vitalizing, and beautiful—and when they returned to their castle, Regina surprised Emma once again.

The fallen queen waited until all the world was dark with night, the stars in the sky twinkling as promises of future joy, and then she had taken Emma's hand, gripped it tightly in her own, and carried them both away in a cloud of swirling purple smoke. "Close your eyes," she had whispered as they whisked through time and space to a destination the princess knew nothing off, and Emma had instantly obeyed. A smile stretched her pink and soft lips as her eyelids fluttered closed over emerald orbs, and it seemed as if hours passed before the rush of magic puttered into nonexistence, Regina's familiar hands slipped smoothly around the princess's waist, and her sultry voice beautifully sang, "You may open your eyes now, my love."

An echoing gasp had escaped Emma's lips the moment her eyes fluttered open and absorbed the scenery around her, tears instantly swelling in emerald orbs before cascading down fair cheeks. Regina had taken her to one of the most legendary lands in history, a land revered throughout all of the kingdoms, and known throughout multiple realms—the Whispering Glades. Emma had only ever read about it in her history books as a child and had always been fascinated by the stories. The land was legendary for its beauty, and for the healing powers said to exist in the sap of the whispering pines, the great and towering trees that adorned the Glades.

The Whispering Glades was located in the furthest reach of their realm, far beyond the borders of the White Kingdom, beyond the borders of any and all of the kingdoms surrounding the White Kingdom even, which explained why it had taken Regina so long to transport them there. Emma had simply stood in awe of its legendary beauty, the snowy grounds sparkling with their virginity, and the whispering pines so purely white in color that they were nearly painful to gaze upon, so bright beneath the moon. The air had been so still, not a breath of breeze to rustle the needles of the pines, and yet still, they spoke. The sound was the source of their name, the whispering pines, for though the trees remained unmoved by any source of wind, they seemed still to whisper to one another and to any present. It was a strange and delightful thing to witness.

"Oh Regina," Emma had whispered that night, slipping her hands over her wife's and gripping them so tightly that it threatened the flow of blood. The fallen queen cared not, though. She laughed beautifully, her breath warm on the princess's ear, and said, "I know you have always been fascinated with the Whispering Glades, Emma. Happy Name Day, darling."

"It is so beautiful," the princess had reverently whispered as she breathed in the freezing air, warmed by Regina's magic.

The fallen queen had then hummed her agreement before pressing her lips tenderly to the blonde's neck and whispering, "And yet, I can see only you."

The princess had turned then, nuzzling her nose against her wife's just as Regina went on to beautifully say, "I love you so much, Emma."

Tears slipped reverently down fair cheeks as Emma pressed her lips to Regina's before whispering, "And I you."

* * *

As the memories faded and the princess floated back to her reality, she leaned forward to press her forehead tenderly against the glass of the grand mirror as she cried. That life felt so distant, so dead when facing the future that had come too soon. She knew she should be not so hopeless, that perhaps once she had settled into her new title, she could find a perfect balance and live the life she craved with Regina; then again, she also knew what being queen would mean for her life. No such freedom as she had longed for, as she had long had before this terrible tragedy had taken place. Her days would be filled with responsibilities, her plate with the needs and desires of a nation, and her children...the children she hoped to one day have would be forced into a childhood that lacked that same freedom. They would be born into royalty, with all of the blessings that implied, but with all of the downfalls as well. The thought alone churned uncomfortably in Emma's stomach as her tears continued to fall, fast and free.

Her heart ached as her chest felt tight and constricted, fears and anxieties of her new life as queen ripping through her as haunting vows. Many, she knew, ached for royalty, and many royals truly loved their roles in monarchy; yet Emma desired hers not. She desired only for freedom and for love. This life was a burden she had long ago released and had never intended to reclaim.

"Oh gods," she cried through great gasping breaths and raining tears as she pressed into the mirror. "Please, help me through this."

_Emma_, Regina's voice rang out in her mind, blasting through her like a Phoenix song, healing and powerful, _calm your heart, my love. Your fear and sorrow are as fire in my soul. All will be well, darling. Please, Emma…I can hardly bear your pain. It despairs me so._

The princess sucked in several deep, painful breaths, rubbing at her chest as she tried to calm herself if not for her own sake, then for the sake of her wife. When she felt she was calm enough to respond, she closed her eyes and called out to the fallen queen through their telepathic bond. _I am sorry, Regina, _she whispered. _I feel so…I have no words. Could you…_

Regina could sense Emma's need without the princess even having to voice the words, and so she sent a wave of love through the bond connecting their souls and said, _Yes, Emma, I will send your mother. _

A trembling sigh echoed in the fallen queen's mind before the princess whispered, _Thank you_, and fell silent once more, the ache in her heart still vibrating in Regina's own.

* * *

A swirl of purple smoke caught Emma's attention, causing her blonde locks to bounce as her head snapped up just in time to see her mother, Red, appear in Regina's signature magic. Relief flooded Emma's heart at the mere sight of her beloved adoptive mother, and she spoke not a word as she launched across the room and into Red's waiting arms. Her tears spilled fast and fresh as she buried her face in Red's neck and clutched tightly to her mother's formal dress.

"Shh, Emma," Red hummed as she held her daughter tightly and rubbed comforting circles into her back. "I am here now. I have you."

It took several long moments before the princess was able to calm enough that her breaths evened and her heart-rate slowed to a normal pace. Once her tears had ceased to mar her cheeks, Emma rested her head upon her mother's clavicle and raggedly said, "I feel as if I am drowning."

"I know," Red whispered before leaning down to place a tender kiss to her daughter's forehead, "but Emma, all will be well. This I promise you, and do you know how I know this?"

Emma merely shook her head against her mother's chest, unable to make her voice work in that moment as she fought the tears building once more in her eyes and the lump taking residence in her ever-tightening throat.

Red could help not the small smile that graced her lips at the princess's tendency to revert and become so childlike when in her arms and when overwhelmed by her emotions. It always warmed the wolf's heart and filled her mind with memories of a tiny golden-haired princess crawling into her lap in some hollowed tree in the woods and asking for stories. Those memories meant more than anything to Red.

"I _know_," she said as she stroked Emma's back, "because you are _my _child, and you and I, Emma…we are survivors, are we not? We have weathered greater storms than this, my darling, and we shall certainly survive this. Emma, you will be a wonderful queen, and though I know you desire not the title and though I know you are afraid, trust me when I say that you _can _and you _will _be happy again. You will find the balance you need, and your life will be what you dream it to be. I wish I could change this for you, love. Believe me, I do, but I cannot, so I am choosing to have faith instead in you, a faith that is well founded, because you have never disappointed me, Emma, and you never could. I had reservations only because I feared for you love, not because I believed you incapable. My heart now, though, is full of nothing but pride and absolute, unwavering faith. You _can _do this, Emma, and you _can _be happy."

"Do you truly believe that, Mother?" Emma asked quietly. "Or do you seek only to soothe me?"

"Emma, I believe you know me better than that," Red scolded as she pulled back just enough to look into the wide, hopeful, terrified emerald eyes she loved so much. "I have never been dishonest with you. I do believe every word I have spoken, and I wish you to believe as well. You suffer now, Emma, but you know as well as I that the suffering _does_ pass. It always passes, and on the other side, is beauty, because what have I always told you about suffering, my child?"

The princess took a great, stuttering breath as confidence and love began to seep into her chest and make her feel alive again, strong again…hopeful. That was the grand effect that her mother always had upon her. Red was as a beacon of light in the darkest night always, and Emma cherished her beyond words or expression.

"That we must embrace our suffering," Emma answered, a small adolescent smile beginning to bloom upon her lips, "that we must allow it to drive us onward."

Red nodded as she smiled beautifully at her child and just as she had spoken so many times before throughout their years together, she breathed, "This is the way we grow, my love."

Emma's smile matured in that moment as she slipped her hands into her mother's, nodded resolutely, and firmly said, "This is how we survive."

* * *

The princess closed her eyes as she stood just outside the grand doors of the White castle's Throne Room. She could hear the murmuring of the gathered crowd within, and it only set her nerves on fire. Nausea raged within her, bile rising in her throat only to be painfully choked back down. Her fear was as a taunting beast, causing her sense of reality to fade, the room around her blurring as her vision fogged and the sounds suddenly warping and dying as if someone had cupped their hands tightly around her ears. She felt as if she were dreaming, a horrible dream from which she longed only to wake.

And then, she felt a soft hand slip into hers, a familiar hand. Relief instantly flooded through Emma's chest, love spilling through her cells and reigniting her sense of calm, her sense of reality, and…her hope. Emerald eyes fluttered open and golden princess curls bounced as Emma dropped her head to peer down at her hand, perfectly and beautifully entangled with another. Her gaze then trailed up the smooth tan skin of a poised arm, over an exposed shoulder and clavicle, up a slender, delicate neck, over supple lips and a petite nose, until it finally landed upon the melted chocolate of her wife's adoring eyes.

Regina smiled beautifully at the princess, squeezed her hand tightly, and whispered, "Take a breath, darling. You are about to be queen."

Emma's eyes remained locked on Regina's as she heeded her wife's command, sucking in a deep and relieving breath, allowing it to spill into her lungs and ease some of the ache in her constricted chest. "Queen," she reiterated in a nearly silent and breathy whisper.

As soon as the single word escaped her, the massive doors of the Throne Room jolted open to reveal an enormous crowd parted around the long, red-carpeted aisle leading to the royal thrones where the High Priest of the realm awaited, having arrived by way of magic just prior to the dawn. Regina squeezed Emma's hand tightly once more and called out to the blonde in her mind. _Emma, hold your head high, _she whispered to her wife. _Be proud, and just breathe. You can do this. We can do this. _

Before the princess could even think to respond, the booming voice of the castle herald rang out, echoing through the Throne Room like thunder. "Her Royal Highness and rightful heir to the throne, Princess Emma, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Regina," he cried, and Emma could do not but heed Regina's advice. She straightened her spine, tilted her chin upward, and focused on her breathing as she and Regina stepped forward in sync, the members of the crowd dipping into graceful bows and curtsies as the two princesses passed.

As they strode down the aisle, Emma's heart thundered madly in her chest, but with every step, a new wave of confidence and hope spilled into her cells and ignited her from within. She knew not if it was her own or it was merely a gift from her loving and supportive wife, sent to her through their bond as Soul Mates. Regardless, it felt wonderful and helped the princess to remain on her feet, to keep her mind focused. She was thankful for the feeling. It made all the difference in the world, because where she had only just longed to run, she now had an overwhelming urge to remain.

When they reached the dais, they each curtsied before the High Priest, as was customary, before climbing the stairs to stand just before the thrones that had, only days earlier, belonged to Snow and James. Emerald eyes scanned the crowd, landing instantly upon the face of her mother, Red, and her dear friends, Blue and Belle, who stood at the front of the crowd, tears in their eyes and hands each clasped together as they watched Emma and Regina prepare to become the new reigning monarchs of the White Kingdom. The princess glanced around the dais, only just realizing that her birthmother, Snow, was absent, and anger and heartache instantly flooded through her heart. How could Snow choose not to even attend the coronation after placing such a burden upon the blonde? It absolutely broke Emma's heart.

The High Priest turned to stand before them, and Emma could help not but stare at the man. He seemed far too elderly to still be living, his skin heavily wrinkled and his eyes nearly milky white and surely blind. However, as blind as he appeared to be, the man opened a massive book and began to read from its ancient text. He smeared some kind of oil across the page as he did so, which confused Emma, but she knew little of the ceremony, so she questioned it not and simply waited in silence until it was time for her to speak.

"As High Priest of this realm, I have been summoned to perform this royal coronation, sanctioned by the royal bloodline of the White Monarchy, by the almighty gods, and by my own holy title. As a direct result of the untimely death of the reigning king, King James, and the voluntary abdication of the reigning queen, Queen Snow White of the royal bloodline, the coronation of a new reigning monarch has been deemed by the council of priests and by myself, the high priest of the realm, to be necessary. As a member of the royal bloodline of the White Monarchy and as the direct descendent of King James and Queen Snow, Princess Emma is next and only in line for the royal crown of this kingdom and as of today's proceedings, shall be named reigning queen. Additionally and by way of a royally sanctioned marital union, the former queen and current princess, Regina White, formerly of the house Mills, shall be crowned once more as reigning monarch of this kingdom, to rule alongside the rightful queen, Emma. Are these conditions, as I have spoken them now, considered just in the eyes of the royal bloodline?"

Regina squeezed Emma's hand tightly as the blonde choked out, "They are."

"Very well then, Madam," the High Priest said as he nodded respectfully first to Emma and then to Regina. He then turned back to face Emma just as Regina released the blonde's hand and stepped back so that the princess was standing front and center on her own as was required for the coming portion of the ceremony. The second Regina's hand left hers, Emma's heart became as a pounding hammer in her chest and her breath grew rapid within seconds. The fallen queen continued to send waves of love and support through their bond, however, which served to allow Emma to maintain at least a small portion of her resolve and her composure. "Is Your Highness willing to proceed in taking the Royal Oath?"

Emma closed her eyes for only a moment before she quietly breathed, "I am."

The High Priest ran a gnarled index finger down the page before stopping upon a paragraph that the princess could see not from where she was standing. He cleared his throat and began the first of four questions that composed the Royal Oath. "Will you solemnly vow to reign over and govern the peoples of the White Kingdom fairly and according to this land's respective laws and customs?"

The princess's voice trembled as she cleared her own throat, did her best to speak loudly and clearly, and said, "I solemnly vow to do so."

"Will you, to the extent of and within your power as reigning queen, cause law and justice to be executed in all your judgments, granting mercy where mercy is warranted and denying such where it truly is undeserved?"

"I will."

"Will you uphold within your kingdom the greater laws of this realm, abiding by the teachings of the council of priests and seeking higher judgment when your own has been compromised?"

"I will."

"Finally, Your Highness, will you love your people? Will you put their needs before your own, sacrificing, if need be, your own desires for the betterment of your kingdom and of your people? Will you, if need be, offer your life?"

The silence was deafening as the crowd waited with bated breath to see if the young princess was truly willing to make such a vow, to abandon her youth and freedom, and if need be, sacrifice her life for her kingdom. Emma clenched her eyes tightly closed and sucked in several deep breaths, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest and making her feel as if she were floating. As soon as the words flowed from her lips though, the floating stopped and she suddenly felt as stone.

"I will."

Pride burst through Regina's heart as she watched her beloved Soul Mate take the Royal Oath, vowing to love and care for the kingdom, and Regina had no doubt that Emma would do precisely that. As terrified as Emma was, Regina knew the blonde's heart. It was open and pure, and the fallen queen knew that if anyone could truly love a kingdom and do all in their power to uphold the happiness of a people, it was Emma. She had inherited that trait from her birthmother; however, Regina knew that where even Snow, and especially herself, had always been unable to put aside their own selfish desires such as love or revenge, Emma would certainly be able to do so. She had balance and clarity where most became lost within themselves, and though Emma was truly terrified in the wake of such rapid and tragic events and though she felt not that she was up to the grand task of being queen, Regina knew otherwise. She had absolutely no doubt that Emma would make a truly wonderful queen, perhaps the best queen the kingdom had ever known.

"Very well," the High Priest said with a delighted smile on his face. "Your Highness has just completed the Royal Oath. Will you perform and keep, by the gods, that which has been here before promised?"

"I will, by the gods," Emma spoke clearly, commanding her voice to work despite the buzzing of her nerves, "perform and keep that which I have here before promised."

The High Priest then motioned for Regina to reclaim her position next to Emma, and only seconds later, the brunette's hand was slipping into the blonde's once more. "Do you, Regina, vow to perform and keep, by the gods, that which has been here before promised by your spouse, the newly reigning queen of the White Kingdom?"

Regina demurely nodded her head and clearly exclaimed, "I will, by the gods, perform and keep that which has been here before promised."

A sense of calm settled over Emma in that moment, unexpected and yet so incredibly welcomed. As she stood there with her wife's hand locked tightly in hers and her heart as a hammer in her chest, her fear just escaped her. She felt suddenly as if all would be well, confidence filling her in waves, and a sense of honor and duty taking over where she had only previously felt terror and an immense desire to flee. Perhaps it was the royalty in her blood, or perhaps it was merely the knowledge that she would be not alone in her endeavor to lead a nation. It mattered not. All that truly mattered was that she was no longer a child, no longer a lone bandit, no longer a freely young and in-love wanderer, no longer a princess…She was a queen.

"Place your hands upon the book," the High Priest commanded, and Emma and Regina placed their joined hands atop the book, perfectly entwined over ancient text. The High Priest placed his own elder and gnarled hand atop theirs and loudly proclaimed, "By the power vested in me as High Priest of this realm and sanctioned by the gods and the royal bloodline of the White Monarchy, I pronounce this coronation just, fair, and satisfactory."

A young page then stepped forward with an inkwell and a feathered quill to be used for the signing of the Oath. Emma was handed the quill first, and she shakily dipped it into the ink with her free hand, her other hand still wrapped tightly in Regina's and held still beneath the firm, old hand of the High Priest. She then scratched out her signature just beneath the oath in the ancient text upon which she and Regina's joined hands still rested. Regina took the quill next, dipping it quickly, and scratched her own beautiful signature just beneath Emma's before handing the quill back to the page, who then scuttled quickly away. As the ink began to dry and fade into the yellowed paper of the old book, the High Priest patted Regina and Emma's combined hands and said, "By the Royal Oath, taken and signed in good faith by the one true heir of the royal bloodline and by the marital princess, it is my great honor and pleasure to present to the kingdom, this day, your newly reigning queens, Her Majesties, Queen Emma and Queen Regina."

Emma's heart soared from her body as the entire Throne Room erupted, because all she could feel was Regina's hand in hers and all she could hear was her wife's sweet voice in her mind saying, _I am proud of you, Emma…My Queen._


	11. Chapter 11: As A Feather

**A/N: So sorry about the wait, everyone. I have been a bit disheartened lately, but I do believe you will enjoy this chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, especially after the emotional roller coaster of the last. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter and for those who continue to review and read with every update. It means more than I can say.**

**I wrote this chapter to the soundtrack of "Before I Leave This World" by Ivan Torrent. Give it a try, because it is absolutely gorgeous and truly adds to the chapter. Enjoy! XO-Chrmdpoet**

Chapter Eleven: As A Feather

"My Queen," a castle maid spoke respectfully as she dipped into a graceful curtsy, bowing her head as she did so.

Emma sighed and could help not but to roll her eyes as she was simply making her way down a castle corridor toward the guest chambers where she and Regina had been staying since the King's death, and yet she was still made to endure the constant reminders that she was now queen. She cleared her throat roughly and said, "Please, rise. There is no need for that. A simple hello would certainly be adequate enough. Carry on."

The maid stood still and quiet, mouth gaping, in the queen's wake, as the blonde whisked right by her and continued to make her way down the long corridor. It had become rather apparent to many of the castle employees throughout the week having passed since the royal coronation that Princess Emma had never desired to become their queen. She attempted to hide it; however, she was a constant in her subtle rebellion. The young queen abhorred her royal gowns and according to word of the tailor maids, frequently dismissed them long before their work was finished or denied their designs were they too abundant in frill or if the skirts were too wide or long or if the dress exposed much of the queen's cleavage or back. She also frequently made to avoid the majority of her subjects—members of the Royal Guard, citizens of the Kingdom with various requests, and the like; she most especially made to avoid said subjects when she was greeted with an abundance of respect or an overly flourished bow. It seemed she simply could stand not to be treated as a queen, which left the entirety of the castle employees as well as the Royal Guard particularly befuddled. They knew not how to navigate around the strange actions and preferences of their new queen. They knew only tradition and traditional respect of a royal, and yet it seemed such tradition only further upset Queen Emma.

Truthfully, and much to the surprise of many, it was Queen Regina that responded well to them all. She graciously accepted their offered respect, though many forced the show as they still were unable to see beyond her past misdeeds. However, in only a week, many found themselves wary of how easily they were finding it to accept and even truly respect the once-Evil Queen. It seemed she had positively changed. She was kind and respectful in return and rarely barked orders or commands upon them. She spoke softly and more made requests than commands, much to the utter shock of the castle employees, many of whom were old enough to have worked within the castle during the time of Regina's original reign.

It was not that Regina had been particularly cruel to her employees during her reign; it was more that she rarely noticed any beyond the members of her Royal Guard. She was far too absorbed in her own personal vendettas to truly appreciate or focus upon the extended range of people within her immediate employment, let alone the subjects of her kingdom. None could argue that Regina had made poor political choices when it came to policy and issues presented before her in court. She issued policy for fair wages, larger portions of grain and feed provided by royal finances and divvied throughout the land, an order of royal protection to any under the threat of spousal abuse, the illegality of hunting wolves within the kingdom, and several other rather generous, fair, and true kindnesses. In that regard, she was a better ruler than Leopold himself, who had been much more selfish in respect to royal funding and the like. The grand downfalls of Queen Regina, instead, had been her direct abuses of her power.

She utilized her Royal Guard as hunters, depriving the castle and many of the people within it of protection, as she sent the Guard on expedition after expedition, ever in search of the elusive Snow White. She used magic as a form of persuasion and manipulation, forcing citizens to testify or confess locations of the wayward princess or ways in which they had assisted her, against their will and right to silence, thus resulting in the death of many once said confessions were exposed. _That_, perhaps, was the greatest of her failures, the deaths. She had a direct hand in the murder of numerous citizens throughout the kingdom, murders committed as punishment for naught more than silence in regard to Snow White or even as little as offering the outlawed princess a meal or night of rest. Additionally, she took so many hearts from her subjects' chests that none believed they could even be counted.

Regina had simply been driven to the brink of madness by her own selfish need for revenge, revenge that none in the kingdom understood or could rationalize since none knew of the young queen's life prior to her marriage to Leopold. Therefore, the people merely deemed her evil, as they could see no proper excuse or reasoning for her often truly abhorrent actions. This was how she gained her darkened title, the Evil Queen, a title fueled by Snow White herself who had also come to believe in those times that Regina had truly gone the way of madness, consumed by her addiction to dark magic and her incessant need to make Snow suffer as she herself had once suffered.

Needless to say, the people were wary of Regina, especially of trusting her to lead them; however, she was quickly growing on them as she exercise all that she had previously denied them—kindness, respect, and at times, even equality to her. She seemed to communicate with the castle employees now as if they were each an old friend of hers, never lording her status or power over them, and never treating them as anything less than human. Many refused to fall into the belief that such things were genuine, though, terrified that it was but another form of manipulation; none could deny though that a small flicker of hope lived within each of them, hope that the former Evil Queen had truly changed and could now be the queen she once should have been. They certainly needed one for it seemed, at this moment in time, that the rightful queen, Emma, was rejecting her new title even as she wore the crown upon her golden hair like a perfect halo upon an angel intent on falling from grace.

Emma rushed into the guest chamber, slamming the door closed behind her and resting her back against the inside of the heavy wood. She let out a long and staggered sigh as she brought up her hand and snapped her fingers, utilizing her magic to instantly rid herself of yet another horrid gown she had been made to wear and replacing it with her much preferred tunic and leather pants. She found the belief, idea, and expectation that women in royalty, especially queens, were to wear fanciful gowns at all times while in the presence of the public to be truly outdated, absolutely restrictive, incredibly unfair, and even sexist. It grated on her every nerve. How was she expected to lead a nation if she was constantly having to slow her pace to carry her skirts and maintain balance atop elevated heels, if she could not simply hop atop her steed at a moment's notice for fear of being indecent, if her time was too devoted to proper primping, fitting, and fixing? In Emma's opinion, it was positively absurd.

"Rough day, darling?"

Emma's head snapped to attention at the sound of her beloved wife's sultry voice. She assumed it would be yet another hour before the witch's return from her investigations in the meadows and surrounding wood. It was a true delight to see her now, emerging from the adjoining bath chamber in only a thin, silken robe.

Regina had been tending to the investigation of the King's death in her spare time, which was little given that she and Emma had only been coronated the previous week and many grand issues of royal court, rearranging of royal documents, detailed explanations of prior decisions, policies, and order took precedence. She was rather required to be in attendance for such meetings considering she had prior experience with the proceedings whereas the blonde queen was positively lost. They had spent a great deal of time in their first week simply attempting to calm the subjects of the kingdom as they flocked to the castle to either greet and congratulate the newly coronated queens or to raise concerns for the continuance or discontinuance of policies already in place now that new rulers had taken the thrones. They still had yet to appoint a royal advising committee, one which both Emma and Regina trusted and believed level-headed and experienced enough to serve as true gems on the council. Regina had faith that it would all work out, though, with relative ease and with time. Emma, however, was a complete mess, and Regina had spent much of their personal time simply attempting to console, encourage, and care for her wife.

Emma's emerald eyes devoured the sight before her, her body buzzing electrically within seconds as her gaze followed the open line of the robe down to the barely peeking hint of her wife's abundant cleavage. Regina's glorious curves, easily visible through the thin material of the robe, had never failed to elicit a powerful response within the blonde. Her own natural and often overwhelming reaction to and hunger for the witch was enough to drive her forward, but paired with the desperate need for comfort that had lived within the blonde since the day of her father's death had her nearly sprinting to close the gap between them.

The young queen ripped through the space, loving the smile that leapt onto her lover's lips the instant she stepped forward. She thrust one desperate hand into the silken chocolate locks at the base of Regina's head and used the other to latch onto a full hip and fiercely pull her wife flush against her. Regina moaned thickly into Emma's mouth as the blonde brought their lips together with an obvious hunger, and their bodies and tongues laced together as if their joined connection was the founding seam that would hold the entire world together.

Emma snapped her fingers again, removing the clothes she had only just fashioned, but she took not Regina's robe. She wanted the pleasure of removing it herself. The instant she stood naked before her wife, Regina's breath hitched in her throat as it always did at the sight of Emma's truly stunning body, and heat sparked between her legs. That heat only grew as Emma's soft hands slipped beneath the open edges of Regina's robe and slowly, delicately pushed the material so that it slipped over and off of the brunette's shoulders and fell to circle around her waist where it remained tied in a loose knot.

Feather-light touches caressed the newly exposed flesh of supple breasts and already painfully erect nipples, barely brushing so that Emma's fingertips felt as seductive whispers upon Regina's sensitive skin. A familiar tension built and knotted at the base of her spine as pale hands slipped down to the loosely knotted robe tie at her waist, and within seconds, the knot was pulled free and Regina was liberated from the last remaining barrier between her own already slick and throbbing core and her wife's. She moaned again, nearly in frustration, as the feather-light brushes that one could almost deny were actual physical touches continued, whispering and blowing across her quivering abdomen and already trembling thighs.

"Emma, must you tease me so?" Regina whispered, only to be met with a breathtaking smile from her wife just before the blonde leaned in to gracefully and skillfully slip her tongue between the witch's lips and stroke the roof of her mouth and write letters atop her taste buds.

Regina had grown accustomed to not only her own, but also her wife's seemingly insatiable desire for physical connection in the first two years of their marriage; however, such desire had grown nearly out of control within the past week. It seemed that nearly every moment they spent alone together, primarily at the end of days when they both were returning to the guest chamber, Emma was intent on burying herself in Regina's skin. The witch knew well that it was her wife's attempt at escape, and while she worried for Emma's avoidance of all that was happening around them and of the responsibilities newly endowed to her in the wake of being crowned queen, Regina also willingly accepted and often indulged the blonde's need. She knew of much less healthy ways to escape one's reality; she herself had actually indulged in those many ways, and so she hardly saw Emma's choice of escape as troubling. If it was what her wife needed, then Regina would gladly bear the soreness and dull ache that had become a constant between her legs. She certainly had no complaints as to how such soreness developed.

Regina quickly grew impatient as Emma's fingertips only slightly whispered across her skin, dancing for mere seconds between her legs and driving her to the brink of absolute insanity. She latched onto her wife's shoulders and swiftly reversed their positions, whirling the blonde around so that Emma's back slammed into the wall and Regina's hand shot out to clutch fiercely around her wrist. The blonde's breath ripped loudly from her lungs as Regina's grip on Emma's wrist was used to sharply pull that fair hand to the apex of her thighs. A white-hot moan rippled up from Emma's chest as her own fingers were led by her wife's, slipping through Regina's positively molten and dripping sex before being plunged into her tight and throbbing opening.

Regina hissed in pleasure as she released her hold on her wife's hand and let Emma take the reins then, the blonde's fingers diving in and out of her with fervor, stroking skillfully at her inner walls and the small ribbed patch of flesh that never failed to make her body limp and boneless. She dropped her mouth to a slender neck already coated in a thin sheen of sweat and buried her teeth into the flesh there as blonde locks tickled at her nose and cheeks and Emma pulled her ever closer, never stopping the powerful movements between the brunette's legs. Regina slid her tongue up the length of Emma's neck and flicked at the shell of her ear before hotly whispering, "Feel that, lover?" Her sultry voice curled around the word "lover" as her inner walls curled around Emma's fingers, seductive, hot, and promising. That single word, painted in her wife's perfect voice, rippled across Emma's flesh like a flooding wave of sexual energy and her entire body began to vibrate as it pressed and slid against Regina's. "The way my body wraps around you, weeps for you, devours you?" the witch continued. "Every inch of me craves your touch, Emma."

Emma shuddered almost violently as she kissed every inch of Regina's face and neck she could find while she simultaneously buried three fingers into her wife's weeping sex over and over, driving her beloved to the edge of a blissful oblivion. Where her free hand had only just been digging into the brunette's hip or scratching down her back, Emma now extricated it so that she could call forth her magic and summon it to her empty palm. Vibrantly purple sparks danced visibly on her palm behind Regina's back, and the brunette witch let out a surprised yelp as her body suddenly began to lift into the air. The yelp quickly evolved into an undeniably low and seductive string of laughter as she realized why Emma was magically raising her into the air.

Within seconds, Regina was elevated high enough to wrap her legs around the blonde's neck and settle her body atop Emma's shoulders, her weight held aloft by Emma's magic. She buried her hands in golden locks as a hot and fast tongue suddenly collided with her trembling sex and Emma's fingers reclaimed their original pace inside her. Hardly any time passed before Regina's throbbing walls were tightening and crushing Emma's fingers and a loud exclamation of the young queen's name spilled from her lips as she spiraled over the edge and into orgasm, her juices spilling deliciously onto her beloved's tongue. The blonde's own juices flowed heavily between her thighs as the ripples of Regina's orgasm danced along their bond and provided Emma her own small, yet satisfying climax.

Emma slowly released her magical hold on Regina as she helped the brunette to unlock her legs from around the blonde's neck and slowly slide down Emma's body. Their nipples brushed electrically together as Regina's slick skin slipped along Emma's and her thighs trembled fiercely as she attempted to place her weight on her feet once more in the wake of such a body-rocking explosion as that which she had only just experienced. She smiled almost lazily at her wife as she pressed a tender kiss to Emma's lips, but then she clutched onto the blonde's shoulders and whirled them in place, both of their bodies disappearing in a cloud of swirling purple smoke and reappearing on the other side of the chamber and sinking heavily into a plush bed.

A growl of approval echoed through the thickened air of the chamber as Emma instantly pressed heavily into Regina's sweat-soaked body, pressed her head to the brunette's chest and letting the woman's heartbeat soothe every inch of her. "Regina," she whispered, "I desire only to know this feeling and the sound of your tender heart for all my days."

Regina positively melted at the words, but soon found the heat of her arousal reigniting when her wife stopped not at that, but continued on to say, "I wish to bury myself inside you and forget the world, forget the kingdom, forget my title, and forget my name. I wish not to be the queen or Emma or anyone other than simply 'yours'. I want to paint myself in your flesh and be naught more than the pleasure between your thighs."

A strange mix between a gurgling whimper and a heady moan escaped Regina's throat as she barely managed to choke out her own words. "Gods, Emma," she whispered breathily, "when you say such things, my entire body feels as if it may splinter apart."

Emma smiled beautifully though Regina witnessed it not as the blonde's head was still tucked against her chest, ear pressed firmly to the rhythm of her pulse, which had yet to calm its rapid song from the thrill of their shared desire. The witch slipped her hands into golden locks, stroking lovingly through long, silky strands and scratching at Emma's scalp, making the younger woman groan with pleasure and delight. She could help not but laugh as Emma sighed dramatically and said, "Your hands are magic."

"No darling," Regina laughed out, "they currently are naught more than simple hands."

"Lies!" Emma grunted teasingly. They laughed loudly and beautifully together as they lay naked atop the massive bed of the White castle's finest royal guest chamber, Regina's fingers spilling in and out of Emma's hair and Emma's arms wrapped tightly around Regina's waist as her head pressed atop a supple breast. When the laughter died down, a throbbing ache spilled into Regina's heart as her wife quietly whispered, "Never leave me."

Regina dropped her chin so that she could press a loving kiss to the top of a golden-haired head and sighed as she said, "Never, my love." She hesitated only a moment before saying, "I wish you would be not so troubled, Emma."

Emma rolled over then, shifting so that her body laid perpendicular to her wife's, her head slipping down to rest on Regina's stomach instead as she gazed up into concerned chocolate eyes. "I am sorry to worry you, Regina. It is merely that I feel so terribly unlike myself since the coronation. I abhor the clothing I am made to wear. I loathe each and every instance in which someone bows to me or addresses me as 'My Queen'. I dread every weighted decision I am required to make. I feel as if my body has been invaded by another and I am living a life not my own."

"Emma, _you _are the _queen_," Regina expressed solemnly. "You must learn to graciously and appreciatively accept the respect that is offered you. It is your right, and though I know you desire it not, it is the way of your life, of our lives now, and the more fiercely you deny this and the harder you push it away, the more difficult our reign will be. I mean not to lecture you, dear, yet I fear your actions will alienate our people and force them to believe not in our ability to guide them and love them as we both vowed to do. At some point, darling, you must accept that you are the queen, and you must learn to find the good in that, the beauty in it, if you wish to survive the throne."

The blonde sighed heavily, pouting a bit at the fact that her wife was beyond correct in her statements, but just as she made to respond, Regina continued on to say, "Furthermore, Emma, do you not realize that as queen of this realm, you have the absolute right to make all final decisions in regard to your own attire?"

Emma's head whipped up at that, her body rising to rest on her elbow as she almost excitedly exclaimed, "I do?"

"Absolutely, darling," Regina told her, laughing at her wife's adorable and near childlike expression of wonder. "While it will certainly serve as a shock to the kingdom to rarely witness their reigning queen in anything other than well-tailored leather pants, tunics, and knee-high boots, I believe they will come to appreciate that you, Emma, are unlike any other queen they have ever had. You will fight for them if need be. You will throw yourself into the fray. You will be active as opposed to sitting upon a throne and merely making judgments. Besides, love, I do believe you and I are the first lawfully married monarchs in the entirety of our kingdom's history that have both been women. If we can successfully break the mold of _that_ tradition, dear, then I am positive your affinity for pants will hardly come as a monumental disturbance. I believe the kingdom's citizens are well aware of the fact that you are no ordinary nor traditional queen, nor am I, considering we both have powerful magic, you prefer a man's attire to a woman's, and you spent the majority of your precious princess youth on the run from your own parents while I remained within a Sleeping Curse. I believe it is safe to say that tradition exited the castle the moment the crown was placed upon your head."

Both Emma and Regina burst into laughter as soon as the final word left the brunette's lips and within seconds, Emma was crawling up Regina's body and pressing a hot kiss of gratitude to the witch's tender lips. "Thank you, Regina," she whispered as she smiled brightly at the breathtaking woman beneath her. "You make my heart a feather."

"The most beautiful feather," Regina teased, smirking as she tickled at Emma's sides and within moments, their laughter was devoured inside of fiery kisses and throaty moans as they, once more, moved to disappear inside of one another.


End file.
